Study: Living Kidney Donors As Healthy As Non-Donors
Risk for high blood pressure, kidney failure, other major health conditions are not increased
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (Jan. 28, 2009) – It appears that kidney donors have survival rates similar to that of the general population – that is, their life span does not seem to be altered or negatively impacted after donation, according to new research out of the University of Minnesota Medical School.
In addition, donors’ risk for developing kidney failure, high blood pressure, diabetes and/or cancer is very similar to someone their age, gender, and ethnicity who is not a donor.
The study, published in the Jan. 29 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine and co-authored by Professor of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology Cynthia Gross, Ph.D., examined the long-term outcomes of nearly 3,700 people who donated a kidney at the University of Minnesota dating back to 1963. Out of that group, researchers randomly chose 255 men and women for more detailed studies of kidney function and quality of life.
“A donor’s life span does not seem to be altered because of their donation, and risk of kidney failure is actually lower than what is reported in the general U.S. population,” said Hassan Ibrahim, M.D., lead author of the study.
Moreover, using standardized tools for assessment of quality of life, the study found that 60 percent of donors have physical and mental health summary scores that are above the scores of the general population. This may be a direct consequence of the routine screening of donors for important health conditions at the time of donation, Ibrahim said.
“Our study indicates that kidney donors who are carefully screened for major health conditions have a normal life span, a health status that is similar to that of the general population, and an excellent quality of life,” Ibrahim said. “Health care professionals involved in the selection of potential kidney donors should continue to employ stringent selection criteria so these donors who give so generously enjoy outcomes that are similar to what we have reported in this study.”
The study was funded with a grant by the National Institutes of Health and a contribution to the Libin Fund.
Contact:
Nick Hanson, Academic Health Center, (612) 624-2449, hans2853@umn.edu
Molly Portz, Academic Health Center, (612) 625-2640, mportz@umn.edu
The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.