Midterm echocardiographic follow-up of cardiac function after living kidney donation.

BACKGROUND: Living kidney donation (LKD) has become increasingly important as more patients reach end-stage renal disease. While safety of the donor is of utmost importance, recent data have suggested an increased risk for cardiovascular mortality after LKD. Therefore, we assessed the changes of cardiac structure and function after LKD by advanced echocardiographic methods. METHODS: 30 living kidney donors were evaluated by medical examination, laboratory testing, and echocardiography before and after LKD (median follow-up 19.5 months). Left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function was assessed by echocardiographic standard indices. Longitudinal 2D strain of the LV and left atrium (LA) was determined by 2D speckle tracking. RESULTS: Serum creatinine increased significantly from 0.80 ± 0.12 mg/dL to 1.18 ± 0.21 mg/ dL (p < 0.001) after LKD. There was a trend to higher blood pressure after LKD, accompanied with significantly higher intake of antihypertensive drugs. Echocardiographic parameters of LV, LA, and RV function did not change significantly after LKD. N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels remained within normal ranges after LKD. CONCLUSION: The rise in serum creatinine and blood pressure indicates that patients have a potentially higher cardiac risk after LKD. However, our pilot study found no evidence for detrimental effects of LKD on cardiac structure and function within a relatively short-term follow-up.