Recipient Obesity and Kidney Transplant Outcomes: A Mate-Kidney Analysis.

Rationale & Objective: The impact of extreme recipient obesity on long-term kidney transplant outcomes has been controversial. This study sought to evaluate the association of various levels of recipient obesity on kidney transplantation outcomes by comparing mate-kidney recipient pairs to address possible confounding effects of donor characteristics on posttransplant outcomes.
Study Design: Nationwide observational cohort study using mate-kidney models.
Setting & Participants: In analysis based on the Organ Procurement and Transplant Network/United Network of Organ Sharing database, 44,560 adult recipients of first-time deceased-donor kidney transplants from 2001 through 2016 were paired by donor.
Predictors: Recipient body mass index (BMI) categorized as 18-25 (n = 12,446), >25-30 (n = 15,477), >30-35 (n = 11,144; obese), and >35 (n = 5,493; extreme obesity) kg/m ² .
Outcomes: Outcomes included patient survival, graft survival, death-censored graft survival, delayed graft function (DGF), and hospital length of stay.
Analytical Approach: Conditional logistic regression and stratified proportional hazards models were used to compare outcomes as odds ratios and hazard ratios (HRs), adjusted for recipient and transplant factors, using recipients with a BMI >35 kg/m ² as a reference.
Results: At a median follow-up of 3.9 years, adjusted odds ratios for DGF were 0.42 (95% CI, 0.36-0.48), 0.55 (95% CI, 0.48-0.62), and 0.73 (95% CI, 0.64-0.83) for BMI 18-25, >25-30, and >30-35 kg/m ² , respectively (P < 0.001 for all). Death-censored graft failure was less frequent for BMI ≤25 and >25-30 kg/m ² (HRs of 0.66 [95% CI, 0.59-0.74] and 0.79 [95% CI, 0.70-0.88], respectively; P < 0.001 for both), but not for BMI >30-35 kg/m ² (HR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.81-1.02]; P = 0.09). Length of stay and patient survival did not differ by recipient BMI.
Limitations: Observational study with limited detail regarding potential confounders.
Conclusions: Despite an increased risk of DGF likely unrelated to donor organ quality, long-term transplant outcomes among recipients with a BMI >35 kg/m ² are similar to those among recipients with a BMI >30-35 kg/m ² , supporting a flexible approach to kidney transplantation candidacy in candidates with extreme obesity.
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