*Purpose: For nearly two decades, the annual number of US live kidney donors has been characterized by striking and worrying patterns of general decline that differ by donor-recipient relationship. But thus far no factor has been identified to explain, and reverse, these patterns. We assessed seasonal and income-related factors to refine our understanding of trends in live kidney donation.

*Methods: We studied SRTR data on 141,965 live kidney donors in the US from 1995-2019. We examined within-year seasonal variation and between-year trends using Poisson regression, stratified by donor-recipient biological relationship and estimated household income tertiles.

*Results: Within any given year, kidney donation was highest in the summer months for related and unrelated donors across all income groups. From year to year, the number of related donors across all income groups increased from 1995-2004 and then decreased from 2005-2019 in any given season [Figure 1]. The number of unrelated donors across all income groups increased from 1995-2004 in any given season, but thereafter the trends varied by income tertile from 2005-2019: increased for the high income tertile across all seasons, increased for middle income tertile only in summer months but decreased in winter months; and decreased for low income tertile in any given season [Figure 2].

*Conclusions: Overcoming financial barriers associated with non-summer donations can potentially translate into timely, life-saving live kidney donation.

« Back to 2021 American Transplant Congress