Prevalence of Anemia in Elderly Patients One Year After Renal Transplantation

The number of elderly people undergoing kidney transplantations is increasing. In recent years, the issue of anemia in the elderly has gained importance and has been extensively discussed; however, scientific evidence regarding the prevalence of anemia in geriatric patients undergoing kidney transplantation is limited. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and risk factors associated with late anemia among geriatric patients undergoing kidney transplantation.Patients and Between 2008 and 2011, we retrospectively studied 214 cases of kidney transplants in elderly patients to determine the prevalence of late post-transplant anemia (PTA). We defined anemia as a condition in which hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was 13 mg/dL or less in men and 12 mg/dL or less in women; severe anemia was defined as a condition in which the Hb concentration was 10 mg/dL or less in men and women. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to establish the correlation of PTA with risk factors such as renal allograft function, blood levels of cyclosporine A (CsA), and other laboratory test. The mean age of the recipients was 68 ± 8 years (range, 60 to 84 years); 63% of them were men and 37% women. We found that the prevalence of PTA 1 year after transplantation was 35.5% (n = 76); mild to moderate anemia was observed in 27.6% (n = 59) of the recipients and severe anemia in 7.9% (n = 17). Multivariate logistic regression analysis after adjustment for variable were significant in univariate analysis revealed that only plasma creatinine concentration was associated with a high probability of PTA. Anemia is very common in elderly patients undergoing kidney transplantation, particularly in patients with deteriorated allograft function. Anemia in elderly patients undergoing kidney transplantations is a serious adverse effect, which should be extensively studied.