Abstract
Background: This prospective study explores and compares the relationship between patients' self-rated health (SRH) after kidney transplantation (KT) at different follow-up periods and its medical and nonmedical predictors over time. Methods: Patients (n = 128) who completed a questionnaire (the SRH question of the SF-36 and the End-Stage Renal Disease Symptom Checklist - Transplantation Module) were enrolled. Clinical data were retrieved from medical files. The sample was stratified into early (n = 89) and late (n = 39) cohorts according to time since KT at baseline. Linear regression was used to identify predictors of SRH at follow-up. Results: In both cohorts, a change in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) over time remained a predictor of SRH; in the early cohort, age was an additional predictor; in the late cohort, a change in transplantation-associated psychological distress over time and the number of late acute rejection episodes during the observation period were additional predictors. Conclusions: Improvement in GFR over time predicted better SRH at each period after KT. Decreased transplantation-associated psychological distress and fewer late acute rejection episodes seemed to predict better SRH at a later follow-up period. Despite these observations, higher SRH was associated with better clinical outcomes. Copyright (C) 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 364-369 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | American Journal of Nephrology |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Keywords
- Kidney transplantation
- Self-rated health
- Glomerular filtration rate
- Rejection
- Immunosuppressant side effects
- QUALITY-OF-LIFE
- STAGE RENAL-DISEASE
- LATE ACUTE REJECTION
- LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION
- MORTALITY
- GRAFT
- SF-36
- DETERIORATION
- PREDICTION
- DIALYSIS