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Moderate drinking benefits kidney transplant recipients, study suggests

Date:
December 13, 2010
Source:
American Society of Nephrology
Summary:
Moderate alcohol consumption reduces one's risk for diabetes and premature death in the general population. To find if the same were true for stable kidney transplant recipients, researchers studied 600 renal transplant recipients who had their transplant more than one prior and followed them for several years post-transplant. During an average follow-up of seven years, moderate alcohol drinkers were 44% less likely to die than other types of drinkers/nondrinkers.
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Moderate alcohol consumption reduces one's risk for diabetes and premature death in the general population. To find if the same were true for stable kidney transplant recipients, Dorien Zelle (University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands) and her colleagues studied 600 renal transplant recipients who had their transplant more than one prior and followed them for several years post-transplant.

Of these, 288 (48%) were abstainers, 94 (16%) sporadic drinkers, 210 (35%) had moderate alcohol intake, and 8 (1%) were heavy drinkers. Moderate alcohol drinkers were 67% less likely to develop diabetes than other types of drinkers/nondrinkers.

During an average follow-up of seven years, moderate alcohol drinkers were 44% less likely to die than other types of drinkers/nondrinkers.

The authors concluded that in contrast with common advice for kidney transplant recipients to refrain from drinking alcohol, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol appears to protect against diabetes and premature death in kidney transplant recipients, similar to the general population. "Quality of life in renal transplant recipients is under pressure by many threats, restrictions, and recommendations," said Ms. Zelle. "Our results indicate that one of the restraints on quality of life in stable renal transplant recipients may be released. There seems no reason to advise renal transplant recipients to abstain from alcohol post-transplant."

Study co-authors include Eva Corpeleijn, Ronald Stolk, MD, PhD, Jaap Homan vd heide, MD, Willem Van son, MD, PhD, Gerjan Navis, MD, PhD, and Stephan Bakker, MD, PhD (University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands).

The study abstract, "Moderate Alcohol Consumption Is Associated with Low Prevalence of Post-Transplant Diabetes and Reduced Risk for Mortality in Renal Transplant Recipients," [TH-PO941] was presented as a poster on November 18, 2010 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO.


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Materials provided by American Society of Nephrology. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


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American Society of Nephrology. "Moderate drinking benefits kidney transplant recipients, study suggests." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 December 2010. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101121122547.htm>.
American Society of Nephrology. (2010, December 13). Moderate drinking benefits kidney transplant recipients, study suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 8, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101121122547.htm
American Society of Nephrology. "Moderate drinking benefits kidney transplant recipients, study suggests." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101121122547.htm (accessed December 8, 2024).

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