ATC Abstracts

American Transplant Congress abstracts

  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
    • 2022 American Transplant Congress
    • 2021 American Transplant Congress
    • 2020 American Transplant Congress
    • 2019 American Transplant Congress
    • 2018 American Transplant Congress
    • 2017 American Transplant Congress
    • 2016 American Transplant Congress
    • 2015 American Transplant Congress
    • 2013 American Transplant Congress
  • Keyword Index
  • Resources
    • 2021 Resources
    • 2016 Resources
      • 2016 Welcome Letter
      • ATC 2016 Program Planning Committees
      • ASTS Council 2015-2016
      • AST Board of Directors 2015-2016
    • 2015 Resources
      • 2015 Welcome Letter
      • ATC 2015 Program Planning Committees
      • ASTS Council 2014-2015
      • AST Board of Directors 2014-2015
      • 2015 Conference Schedule
  • Search

Effects of BMI on Kidney Transplant Outcomes are Highly Modified by Patient and Donor Characteristics

J. Schold1, J. Augustine2, A. Huml2, R. Fatica2, S. Nurko2, A. Wee3, E. Poggio2

1Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, 2Nephrology, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, 3Surgery, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH

Meeting: 2020 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: C-041

Keywords: Kidney transplantation, Obesity, Risk factors

Session Information

Session Name: Poster Session C: Kidney: Cardiovascular and Metabolic Complications

Session Type: Poster Session

Date: Saturday, May 30, 2020

Session Time: 3:15pm-4:00pm

 Presentation Time: 3:30pm-4:00pm

Location: Virtual

*Purpose: Body Mass Index (BMI) is a well-established risk factor for transplant outcomes and high BMI is a commonly used relative contradiction for used for patient eligibility. However, BMI is a relatively coarse measure for health status and the clinical impact and risk associated with BMI levels may be varied by other patient comorbidities and demographic characteristics.

*Methods: We evaluated 190,547 adult solitary kidney transplant recipients from the SRTR data from 2008-2018 and examined the association of BMI levels on outcomes for recipients using interaction terms and stratified analyses based on demographic, clinical and donor characteristics. We tested for significant relative differences of BMI on overall graft loss and patient death.

*Results: In the overall population, BMI demonstrated a significant ‘J-Shape’ risk profile with elevated risks for overall graft loss among low BMI recipients (BM1<20kg/m2) and an increased risk among obese and morbidly obese recipients. However, using multivariable models with interaction terms with BMI, several factors significantly modified the effects of BMI including age, diabetic status and race (all interactions p<0.01). Effects of BMI for age are displayed in Figure1 demonstrating a marked relative effect of obesity among younger recipients which attenuated with age and shifted to a marked risk for low weight among recipients >60. Similar differential effects included a significantly lower risk of obesity among African Americans relative to Caucasians, lower risk of obesity among diabetics relative to non-diabetics and a higher risk associated with obesity with lower quality (higher KDPI) donors.

*Conclusions: BMI has highly variable association with post-transplant outcomes for kidney transplant recipients. These results may be important to incorporate to optimize care and stratify risk. In addition, they suggest that contraindications to transplant should not be guided by absolute BMI cutoffs but rather personalized to other transplant characteristics.

 border=

  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Schold J, Augustine J, Huml A, Fatica R, Nurko S, Wee A, Poggio E. Effects of BMI on Kidney Transplant Outcomes are Highly Modified by Patient and Donor Characteristics [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2020; 20 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/effects-of-bmi-on-kidney-transplant-outcomes-are-highly-modified-by-patient-and-donor-characteristics/. Accessed May 11, 2025.

« Back to 2020 American Transplant Congress

Visit Our Partner Sites

American Transplant Congress (ATC)

Visit the official site for the American Transplant Congress »

American Journal of Transplantation

The official publication for the American Society of Transplantation (AST) and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS) »

American Society of Transplantation (AST)

An organization of more than 3000 professionals dedicated to advancing the field of transplantation. »

American Society of Transplant Surgeons (ASTS)

The society represents approximately 1,800 professionals dedicated to excellence in transplantation surgery. »

Copyright © 2013-2025 by American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Cookie Preferences