HYPERTENSION 2 YEARS AFTER RENAL-TRANSPLANTATION - CAUSES AND CONSEQUENCES

The incidence of hypertension 2 years after renal transplantation and the possible causes of hypertension were studied retrospectively. A gr oup of 93 patients treated with cyclosporin (CyA), azathioprine (Aza), and/or prednisolone (Pred) were compared to a group of 31 patients tr eated with Aza and Pred. There were more patients with hypertension in the CyA group (73 %) than in the Aza group (58 %). Hypertension befor e transplantation predisposed to hypertension after transplantation. A fter transplantation, hypertension was most common among patients with polycystic kidney disease (46 %), chronic glomerulonephritis (67 %), and diabetes (71 %). The accumulated immunosuppressive medication (CyA /Pred) did not affect the occurrence of hypertension. Hypertensive pat ients had significantly poorer graft function than did normotensive pa tients (serum creatinine level 229 mu mol/l vs 162 mu mol/l, P < 0.01) . The 10-year graft survival was markedly impaired in the group with h ypertension (42 % vs 65 % for normotensives, P < 0.05). The 10-year pa tient survival was 59 % vs 79 % (P = NS). The study further confirms t he frequent finding that hypertension has a negative effect on graft a nd patient survival rates.