A logical basis for age matching in organ transplantation: studies of recipient renal function in relation to donor age

The ever rising demand for renal transplantation has led to an increased use of older (> 50 years) organ donors [9]. Previous studies have shown that donor-to-recipient age difference is an independent risk factor for allograft survival [3]. A recent multicentre study of 6397 first cadaver renal transplants showed that, where donors are more than 5 years older than the recipient, there is significantly impaired graft survival [11]. The mechanism of this effect is unclear, but it has been suggested that age-related donor factors may influence subsequent graft function.