title: Weight change in cardiac transplant patients.
abstract: The perception exists that excessive weight gain commonly occurs after cardiac transplantation. To examine this perception, 91 transplant patients from one to eight years post-transplant responded to a questionnaire eliciting data on premorbid and post-transplant weights, exercise frequency, and fat intake. Only 37% of subjects weighed more post-transplant than premorbidly. More than half of the subjects were over their ideal weights premorbidly and post-transplant. On t-test there was no significant difference (p less than .05) between weight gainers and weight losers in exercise frequency (t = .63; p = .53), or fat intake (t = -.80; p = .43). Findings of the study dispute the perception of excessive weight gain post-transplantation. This perception may be due to the comparison of cachectic pre-transplant weight with well weight post-transplant. Since more than half of the subjects were over their ideal weight post-transplantation, teaching regarding weight control remains important. Future research on effective methods of weight control is needed.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santamaria
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tomalty
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D011184:Postoperative Period; D015430:Weight Gain; D015431:Weight Loss