Renal transplantation normalizes baroreflex sensitivity through improvement in central arterial stiffness

BACKGROUND: In end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, the most common cause of mortality and morbidity are cardiovascular events. This could be attributed to the impaired baroreflex function observed in this group of patients. The effect of renal transplantation (RT) on the baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) in ESRD patients has been inadequately addressed. Therefore, we investigated baroreflex function and its relation to arterial stiffness indices and cardiovascular variability parameters (heart rate and blood pressure variability--HRV and BPV) in ESRD patients before and after transplantation to decipher the underlying mechanism of attenuated BRS in ESRD patients. METHODS: We studied 23 ESRD patients (mean age; 36 years) prospectively before and at 3 and 6 months after RT. Baroreflex function was determined by spontaneous method (sequence and spectral indices). Short-term HRV and BPV were assessed using power spectrum analysis of RR intervals and systolic blood pressure by frequency domain analysis. Arterial stiffness indices were assessed by carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (PWV), augmentation index (AI) and central pulse pressure using Sphygmocor Vx device (AtCor Medical, Australia). RESULTS: RT was associated with the normalization of BRS by 6 months. Arterial stiffness indices, such as AI and central pulse pressure, showed a significant reduction as early as 3 months after RT. PWV and frequency domain measures of HRV after RT did not show statistically significant changes except the LF/HF ratio which had a significant increase at 6 months when compared with baseline. Systolic BPV total power showed a significant reduction by 3 months after RT. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that RT normalizes BRS in ESRD patients by 6 months which follows the improvement in the AI and central pulse pressure.