Hypercholesterolemia in Renal Transplant Recipients; contributing Factors, Effect of Dietary Modification and Fluvastatin Therapy

Abstract

Hypercholesterolemia which frequently follows renal transplantation, places kidney graft recipients at an increased risk for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. We attempt in this study to determine the prevalence, and evaluate severity and treatment of hypercholesterolemia in kidney transplant recipients. We studied 78 renal transplant patients with a mean age of 42.1 years and mean transplant duration of 6.2 years (range from six months to 8.5 years). They were on triple immunosuppressive therapy and had serum creatinine level of less than 160µmol/L. Thirty-one patients (39.8%) were found to have blood cholesterol levels > 6.4 mmol/L. Significant positive correlation was found between hypercholesterolemia and cyclosporine blood levels above 200 ng/ml (p< 0.0009). Furthermore, proteinuria positively correlated with hypercholesterolemia (p< 0.0006). There was no significant correlation between cholesterol blood level and the patient age, sex, presence of diabetes, prednisolone, dose, or treatment with C.-blockers and diuretics. Dietary modification was not effective in reducing the blood cholesterol level in our patients, so we used fluvastatin in a dose of 20 to 40 mg daily for a period of three months. This drug was effective in lowering the mean cholesterol blood levels from 7.1 to 5.2 mmol/L (p< 0.005). One out of 19-electromyogram studies showed abnormal pattern. We did not notice change in the levels of creatinine phosphokinase, serum creatinine or lover enzymes. In conclusion, hyper-cholesterolemia is common in stable renal transplant patients. The presence of proteinuria and the high level of blood cyclosporine are significantly associated with hypercholesterolemia. Low-dose fluvastatin was well-tolerated and effective cholesterol lowering treatment.