Trends of blood pressure in the first 12 months post-kidney transplantation: blood pressure trends in kidney transplant patients

Introduction: Kidney transplantation (KT) favorably affects cardiovascular risk factors including blood pressure (BP). This study aims to assess the effects of KT on both systolic and diastolic BP levels, as well as the quantity of BP medications required during the first-year post-transplantation. Method: We conducted a retrospective analysis at a single center, focusing on patients who received KT and were monitored for 12 months post-transplant. BP readings were taken at baseline (pre-KT) and 1 month, 6 months, and 12 months post-KT. We also evaluated the number of BP medications used during this time period. Similarly, we identified confounding variables, including smoking, diabetes, gender, etc., and subsequently conducted a subgroup analysis. Results: We analyzed data from 254 KT recipients with mean age of 43.1 ± 15.9. Of these, 55.5% were male, and 79.5% had received kidneys from living donors. Preemptive KT accounted for 9.8%, while 11.8% underwent peritoneal dialysis and 78.3% had hemodialysis. BP > 140/90 mmHg at baseline was observed in 52.4% of participants, reducing to 29.9% at 12 months by the end of the first year, and 70.1% of patients achieved the target BP. The initial systolic BP (SBP) averaged 138.6 ± 22.3, which decreased by an average −6.51 mmHg over 12 months ( P -value <0.001). The starting diastolic BP (DBP) was 77.6 ± 15.1, and it reduced by an average of −5.25 mmHg ( P -value <0.001). These changes were similar between both genders. The number of BP medications also significantly decreased. Conclusion: KT resulted in a significant reduction in SBP, DBP, and BP medication usage in the first year postoperatively in both genders.