The Effect of Body Mass Index on Patient and Graft Survival Rate in Kidney Transplanted Patients in Iran

[Background]The number of patients with overweight and obesity requiring renal transplant in the past 2 decades increased considerably.[Objectives]The current study aimed at evaluating the effect of body mass index (BMI) on graft and patients survival rate.[Design]In the current retrospective, cross sectional study, transplant recipients were divided into 3 groups based on their BMI: group 1 (BMI < 18.5 kg/m²), group 2 (BMI = 18.5 to 25 kg/m²), and group 3 (BMI > 25 kg/m²). Kaplan-Meier formula was used to calculate the patient survival rate, log-rank test to compare the survival curves, analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare continuous variables, and the Chi-square test to compare the classified data. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 19. P values ≤ 0.05 were considered significant.[Results]The 5-year follow-up on patients’ survival rate in groups 1, 2, and 3 was 91% ± 0.03%, 91% ± 0.01%, and 80 ± 0.03%, respectively. Also, the 5-year graft survival rate in groups 1, 2, and 3 was 90% ± 0.02%, 85% ± 0.02%, and 76 ± 0.03%, respectively. There were significant differences between BMI status and gender of the recipients (P value = 0.003) and those of the donors (P value = 0.003), type of kidney in donors (P value = 0.001), type of dialysis in recipient (P value = 0.001), history of type 2 diabetes mellitus in recipient (P value = 0.001), recipient age (P value = 0.001), duration of hospitalization (P = 0.026), cholesterol levels after 1 year (P value = 0.001), and BMI status of the recipient.[Conclusions]The results also indicated that the graft survival rate of the recipients was not statistically different in terms of BMI; thus, the results suggested that to allow of counting in patients included overweight and obesity kidney transplantation as appropriate action treatment.