Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Degree

Master of Science

Program

Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Abstract

Cardiovascular events are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant recipients. We conducted a retrospective study using healthcare databases in Ontario, Canada to determine whether the incidence of cardiovascular events has changed from 1994 to 2009 in 4954 kidney transplant recipients. Our primary endpoint was a 3-year composite outcome of post-transplant death or cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, coronary artery bypass graft, or stroke). Recipients were older and had more baseline co-morbidity in recent eras (1994-1997 vs. 2006-2009: median age 45 vs. 53 years; coronary artery disease 22% vs. 37%). A total of 445 recipients (9.0%) died or experienced a cardiovascular event within 3 years. There was no significant change in the composite outcome or death-censored cardiovascular events (p=0.41 and 0.92, respectively) over time. Despite transplant centers accepting recipients who are older with more co-morbidities, the incidence of death or cardiovascular event has remained stable.

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