Abstract

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Prior studies report that the use of proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) can adversely affect gut microbiota and gastrointestinal uptake of micronutrients, in particular iron and magnesium, and are used frequently by kidney transplant recipients (KTR). Altered gut microbiota, iron deficiency, and magnesium deficiency have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue. Therefore, we hypothesized that PPI use may be an important and underappreciated cause of fatigue and reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in this population.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: KTR (≥1 year after transplantation) enrolled in the TransplantLines Biobank and Cohort Study.

EXPOSURE: PPI use, PPI type, PPI dosage, and duration of PPI use.

OUTCOMES: Fatigue and HRQoL, assessed using the validated Checklist Individual Strength 20 Revised questionnaire and Short Form-36 questionnaire.

ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Logistic and linear regression.

RESULTS: We included 937 KTR (mean age 56±13 years, 39% female) at a median of 3 [1-10] years after transplantation. PPI use was associated with fatigue severity (regression coefficient 4.02, 95%CI 2.18 to 5.85, p<0.001), a higher risk of severe fatigue (OR 2.05, 95%CI 1.48 to 2.84, p<0.001), lower physical HRQoL (regression coefficient -8.54, 95%CI -11.54 to -5.54, p<0.001), and lower mental HRQoL (regression coefficient -4.66, 95%CI -7.15 to -2.17, p<0.001). These associations were independent of potential confounders including age, time since transplantation, history of upper gastrointestinal disease, antiplatelet therapy, and the total number of medications. They were present among all individually assessed PPI types and were dose-dependent. Duration of PPI exposure was only associated with fatigue severity.

LIMITATIONS: Residual confounding and inability to assess causal relationships CONCLUSIONS: PPI use is independently associated with fatigue and lower HRQoL among KTR. PPI use might be an easily accessible target for alleviating fatigue and improving HRQoL among KTR. Further studies examining the effect of PPI exposure in this population are warranted.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)189-201.e1
Number of pages14
JournalAmerican Journal of Kidney Diseases
Volume82
Issue number2
Early online date17-Feb-2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug-2023

Keywords

  • Gut-brain interaction
  • kidney transplantation
  • patient-reported outcome measures
  • quality of life
  • side effects
  • tiredness

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