OBJECTIVES: We conducted this study to evaluate the prevalence, and risk factors of hypercholesterolemia (HC) in renal transplant population. METHODS: We reviewed the records of the active renal transplant patients at two large transplant centers in Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia transplanted between 1979 and November 1998. The patients were grouped according to the measurement of serum cholesterol level; group I (normal): below or equal 5.2 mmol/L, group II (mild HC): from 5.3-6.0 mmol/L, group III (moderate HC): from 6.1-8.0 mmol/L group IV (severe HC): above 8.0 mmol/L. RESULTS: There were 1096 patients' records included in the study. According to the level of measured serum cholesterol, there were 421 (38.4%) patients is group I, 256 (23.3%) patients in group II, 363 (33.1%) patients in group III and 57 (5.2%) patients group IV. We found no significant difference between the study groups in terms of gender (60% males, 40% females), mean duration of transplantation (66.9 months), between those transplanted before 1990 and those transplanted after 1990, donor type, prevalence of hypertension (85%), history of hypertension on dialysis, original kidney disease, frequency of rejections in the first year (28%), mean serum creatinine (220 mumol/L), cyclosporine mean dose (3.2 mg/kg/day) mean prednisone dose (0.15 mg/kg/day), number of patients on azathioprine (65%), the mean proteinuria (0.6 G/L) or number of antihypertensives. In comparison with the group with normal serum cholesterol level, the group with severe hypercholesterolemia had significantly higher mean age (40.6 versus 37.4 years), higher mean weight (72 versus 65.8 kg), rate of retransplantation (8.8% versus 3.1%), higher frequency of diabetics (35% versus 20%) and higher frequency of abnormal electrocardiogram (18.2% versus 5.2%). CONCLUSION: That hypercholesterolemia is a significant problem in the renal transplant population in Saudi Arabia. Risk factors for the development of hypercholesterolemia are mainly related to weight, age, diabetes and retransplantation.
