Postdonation eGFR and New-Onset Antihypertensive Medication Use After Living Kidney Donation

BACKGROUND. Limited data are available regarding clinical implications of lower renal function after living kidney donation. We examined a novel integrated database to study associations between postdonation estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and use of antihypertensive medication (AHM) treatment after living kidney donation. METHODS. Study data were assembled by linking national U.S. transplant registry identifiers, serum creatinine (SCr) values from electronic medical records, and pharmacy fill records for 3222 living donors (1989–2016) without predonation hypertension. Estimated GFR (mL/min per 1.73 m(2)) was computed from SCr values by the CKD-EPI equation. Repeated measures multivariable mixed effects modeling examined the associations (adjusted odds ratio, (95%LCL)aOR(95% UCL)) between AHM use and postdonation eGFR levels (random effect) with fixed effects for baseline donor factors. RESULTS. The linked database identified an average of 3 postdonation SCr values per donor (range: 1–38). Lower postdonation eGFR (vs ≥75) bore graded associations with higher odds of AHM use (eGFR 30–44: aOR (0.95)1.47(2.26); <30: aOR (1.08)2.52(5.90)). Other independent correlates of postdonation AHM use included older age at donation (aOR per decade: (1.08)1.23(1.40)), black race (aOR (1.03)1.51(2.21)), body mass index > 30 kg/m(2) (aOR (1.01)1.45(2.09)), first-degree donor–recipient relationship (aOR (1.07)1.38(1.79)), “prehypertension” at donation (systolic blood pressure 120–139: aOR (1.10)1.46(1.94); diastolic blood pressure 80–89: aOR (1.06)1.45(1.99)). CONCLUSIONS. This novel linkage illustrates the ability to identify postdonation kidney function and associate it with clinically meaningful outcomes; lower eGFR after living kidney donation is a correlate of AHM treatment requirements. Further work should define relationships of postdonation renal function, hypertension, and other morbidity measures.