Joint British Transplantation Society and British Cardiovascular Society guidelines on risk stratification and non-invasive cardiac investigation of asymptomatic adults being assessed for kidney transplantation

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant candidates and recipients. Pre-transplant cardiac tests are frequently used to risk-stratify transplant candidates to optimise medical or interventional therapies in the belief this reduces peri-operative cardiovascular risk, but no studies have definitively determined whether this strategy is clinically or cost effective. A joint British Transplantation Society and British Cardiovascular Society Guideline on cardiovascular assessment of potential adult kidney transplant recipients has recently been written. This manuscript summarises the relevant recommendations from chapters on risk stratification and non-invasive cardiac investigation of adult patients being assessed for kidney transplantation, including the re-evaluation of patients active on the transplant waiting list.