Clinical factors and comorbidities affecting health-related quality of life in postrenal transplant patients

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life is different among different transplant cohorts with respect to different variables which predict mortality and graft survival. The aim of this study was to identify the effects of clinical factors on the health-related quality of life in postrenal transplant patients. METHODS: This census study was conducted at the Institute of Kidney Diseases Peshawar, Pakistan. Data were collected on a questionnaire “ Kidney Diseases Quality of Life-Short Form-1.3 Urdu version” and were analyzed in the 3 main domains, for example, physical component summary (PCS), mental component summary, and kidney disease component summary using SPSS version 21. Mean scores for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension, levels of hemoglobin, and serum creatinine were compared by unpaired t-test. RESULTS: A total of 277 men (87.9%) and 38 (12.1%) women participated in the study. Mean age was 37.26 (±10.14) years (range 18–65 years). Hypertension was reported in 72.2% and DM in 10.8%. Hemoglobin was <12.5g% in 26.0% patients. Patients with DM had significant lower PCS (P = .001) and mental component summary (MCS; P = .001) scores. Patients with hypertension had significant lower MCS score (P = .01). Patients with hemoglobin <12.5g% had significantly lower PCS (P = .001) score than those with hemoglobin >12.5 g%. The PCS score in patients with serum creatinine level >2 mg% was significantly lower (P = .02) than those with serum creatinine <2 mg%. CONCLUSION: Lower graft function and DM were associated with lower PCS and MCS scores. Hypertension was associated with lower MCS score and anemia with lower PCS score.