Dietary patterns, food groups and health in kidney transplant recipients
Dietary patterns, food groups and health in kidney transplant recipients
Chronic kidney disease represents a growing global health problem, mainly driven by diabetes, hypertension, and population ageing. For patients with end-stage kidney failure, kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment, as it is associated with improved survival, better quality of life, and lower costs compared with dialysis. Despite advances in transplant care, mortality among kidney transplant recipients remains higher than in the general population, particularly due to cardiovascular disease. In addition, graft failure continues to occur frequently, underscoring the need for further optimization of post-transplant care.
Diabetes developing after kidney transplantation is a common complication and is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, loss of graft function, and mortality. In addition to transplant-specific factors, lifestyle factors—and diet in particular—play an important role. Many kidney transplant recipients have an unfavourable dietary pattern, accompanied by post-transplant weight gain and limited physical activity.
The findings of this thesis of Maryse Osté demonstrate that healthy dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, are associated with improved long-term outcomes, including a lower risk of post-transplant diabetes, reduced mortality, and better preservation of kidney function. Vegetables appear to play a central role in these associations. In contrast, a high intake of ultra-processed foods, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, desserts and processed meats, is associated with an increased risk of mortality, independent of overall diet quality.
These results highlight the importance of integrating dietary counselling into routine post-transplant care, with a focus on diet quality and limiting the consumption of ultra-processed foods, in order to improve health outcomes and survival among kidney transplant recipients.