Epidemiology of Cannabis Use and Associated Outcomes among Kidney Transplant Recipients a Meta Analysis

P. Vaitla¹, C. Thongprayoon², F. Cabeza Rivera¹, F. Koller¹, P. Matemavi¹, S. Kanduri¹, R. Marathi³, W. Cheungpasitporn¹

¹Nephrology, University of Mississippi, Jackson, MS, ²Nephrology and Hypertension, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, ³Internal Medicine, University of Mississippi, Jackson, MS

Meeting: 2020 American Transplant Congress

Abstract number: B-098

Keywords: Kidney transplantation, Meta-analysis, Outcome, Psychosocial

Session Information

Session Name: Poster Session B: Kidney Psychosocial

Session Type: Poster Session

Date: Saturday, May 30, 2020

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

Presentation Time: 3:30pm-4:00pm

Location: Virtual

*Purpose: Cannabis is the most commonly used recreational drug in the United States and transplant acceptability for cannabis using candidates varies among transplant centers. In addition, prevalence and impact of cannabis use on outcomes of kidney transplant (KTx) recipients remain unclear. The aims of this study were to summarize 1) the prevalence and 2) impact of cannabis use on outcomes after KTx.

*Methods: A literature search was performed using Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Databases from inception until September 2019 to identify studies assessing prevalence of cannabis use among Ktx recipients and reported adverse outcomes after Ktx. Effect estimates from the individual studies were obtained and combined utilizing random-effects, generic inverse variance method of DerSimonian-Laird.

*Results: 4 cohort studies with a total of 55,897 Ktx recipients were enrolled. Overall, the pooled estimated prevalence of cannabis use was 3.2% (95%CI: 0.4%-20.5%). While the use of cannabis was not significantly associated with all-cause allograft failure [OR: 1.31 (95% CI, 0.70-2.46)] or mortality [OR: 1.52 (95% CI, 0.59-3.92], the use of cannabis among KTx recipients was significantly associated with increased death-censored graft failure with pooled OR of 1.72 (95% CI, 1.13-2.60).

*Conclusions: The overall estimated prevalence of cannabis use among KTx recipients is 3.2%. The use of cannabis is associated with increased death-censored graft failure, but not mortality after KTx.

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Vaitla P, Thongprayoon C, Rivera FCabeza, Koller F, Matemavi P, Kanduri S, Marathi R, Cheungpasitporn W. Epidemiology of Cannabis Use and Associated Outcomes among Kidney Transplant Recipients a Meta Analysis [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2020; 20 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/epidemiology-of-cannabis-use-and-associated-outcomes-among-kidney-transplant-recipients-a-meta-analysis/. Accessed May 31, 2025.

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