Behmen, Senaida

AbstractThe OPTN/UNOS utilizes the calculated estimated posttransplant survival (EPTS) score as the measure of post‐kidney transplant survival to guide allocation of deceased donor kidney transplantation. This score does not include any metric of functional capacity. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), is an established predictor of survival among both the general and diseased populations. We assessed the association and discriminative capacity of VO2peak and that of EPTS score and all‐cause mortality post‐kidney transplant. Additionally, we assessed the “mortality risk” lower VO2peak conferred on those patients with low EPTS score. Among a cohort of 293 transplant recipients with at least 3‐years post‐transplant follow‐up, the median VO2peak was 15.0 ml/Kg/min. Lower pre‐transplant VO2peak and higher EPTS score conferred higher risk of post‐transplant mortality. Among the cohort of “low‐risk” patients (patients with EPTS score < 50) those with lower VO2peak had significantly higher risk of mortality (log rank p = 0.045). In fact, the mortality risk among those with low‐EPTS (< 50) and low VO2peak < 12 ml/Kg/min was equivalent to those with high EPTS (> 80) score. We concluded functional capacity as defined by VO2peak is an important reflection of post‐transplant survival. VO2peak is able to identify those with low EPTS who have similar survival to that of high EPTS phenotype.

Background Significant heterogeneity exists in practice patterns and algorithms used for cardiac screening before kidney transplant. Cardiorespiratory fitness, as measured by peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ), is an established validated predictor of future cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in both healthy and diseased populations. The literature supports its use among asymptomatic patients in abrogating the need for further cardiac testing. Methods and Results We outlined a pre–renal transplant screening algorithm to incorporate VO 2peak testing among a population of asymptomatic high‐risk patients (with diabetes mellitus and/or >50 years of age). Only those with VO 2peak <17 mL/kg per minute (equivalent to <5 metabolic equivalents) underwent further noninvasive cardiac screening tests. We conducted a retrospective study of the a priori dichotomization of the VO 2peak <17 versus ≥17 mL/kg per minute to determine negative and positive predictive value of future cardiac events and all‐cause mortality. We report a high (>90%) negative predictive value, indicating that VO 2peak ≥17 mL/kg per minute is effective to rule out future cardiac events and all‐cause mortality. However, lower VO 2peak had low positive predictive value and should not be used as a reliable metric to predict future cardiac events and/or mortality. In addition, a simple mathematical calculation documented a cost savings of ≈$272 600 in the cardiac screening among our study cohort of 637 patients undergoing evaluation for kidney and/or pancreas transplant. Conclusions We conclude that incorporating an objective measure of cardiorespiratory fitness with VO 2peak is safe and allows for a cost savings in the cardiovascular screening protocol among higher‐risk phenotype (with diabetes mellitus and >50 years of age) being evaluated for kidney transplant.

AbstractBackgroundWhile simultaneous pancreas kidney transplant (SPKTx) is a therapeutic option for patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) and renal failure, few centers offer SPKTx to “select” non‐T1DM patients. To address concerns that existing insulin resistance may limit the benefits of the pancreas allograft among non‐T1DM, we compared several indices of glucose homeostasis, in “select” non‐T1DM and T1DM patients who received SPKTx.MethodsCriteria for “select” non‐T1DM included the following: positive C‐peptide, BMI <30 kg/m2, treatment with oral agents before insulin initiation, and insulin at <1 unit/kg/d. We compared several indices of glucose homeostasis within 1 yr post‐SPKTx among seven “select” patients with non‐T1DM and nine patients with T1DM with similar age, BMI, and immunosuppression. Measurements of insulin resistance included the following: homeostatic model, insulin sensitivity index, and insulin–glucose ratio; insulin secretion measures included the following: corrected insulin response.ResultsNon‐T1DM had similar pre‐transplant metabolic (fasting glucose, HbA1c, blood pressure, and lipid) parameters to the T1DM cohort. There were no significant differences in the various measures of insulin resistance and secretion between T1DM and “select” non‐T1DM patients.ConclusionOur results suggest SPKTx should be considered in the therapeutic armamentarium among carefully select non‐T1DM with features of minimal insulin resistance; however, a larger cohort with longer follow‐up is needed to confirm our results.