title: Long-term follow-up of living kidney donors: a longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse retrospectively the general health status and renal and cardiovascular consequences of living-related kidney donation, as the long-term effects of unilateral nephrectomy for kidney donation are of particular interest with the currently increasing practice of living-donor transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Living-related kidney donors (1400) who had donated their kidneys between 1976 and 2002 were asked to attend a dedicated donor follow-up clinic starting in 2004. We attempted to contact all donors to determine the long-term outcome of their remaining kidney. All kidney donors who responded had a detailed assessment, and were questioned about rehabilitation and their feelings on donating a kidney. The data were compared to the age-matched health tables of the Egyptian general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all, 339 donors had a complete evaluation (mean age at the time of evaluation 47.8 years, sd 11; mean follow-up 10.7 years, sd 4.9). The mean (sd) creatinine level after donation was 1.1 (1.2) mg/dL, and creatinine clearance 109 (33) mL/min; the clearance was <60 mL/min in 0.9% of donors and proteinuria was >300 mg/24 h in 1.5% of donors. Seventy-five (22.1%) donors became hypertensive and the rate was higher in donors with an interval of >25 years from donation; 174 (51.3%) of patients became either overweight or obese. Diabetes mellitus developed in 23 (6.8%) and was more common in patients with significant weight gain.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Donor nephrectomy has minimal adverse effects on overall health status. Regular donor follow-up identifies at-risk populations and potentially modifiable factors.
authors.affiliation: Urology & Nephrology Center, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt. amgadelgroudy@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Amgad E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: El-Agroudy
authors.forename: Alaa A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sabry
authors.forename: Ehab W
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Wafa
authors.forename: Ahmed H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Neamatalla
authors.forename: Amani M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.forename: Tarek
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mohsen
authors.forename: Abd Allah
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Khalil
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Shokeir
authors.forename: Mohamed A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ghoneim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney; D019520:Living Donors; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000009:adverse effects*