Korean J Transplant.  2023 Nov;37(Suppl 1):S206. 10.4285/ATW2023.F-7984.

Prevalence and risk factors of frailty in long-term kidney transplant recipients: a prospective study

• Kang M
• Koh H
• Yim SH
• Choi MC
• Shin S
• Kim HJ
• Hong N
• Rhee Y
• Huh KH
• Lee J

• KMID: 2551826
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4285/ATW2023.F-7984

Abstract

Frailty is prevalent among kidney transplant candidates and has been associated with unfavorable outcomes. Although some studies have shown an initial improvement in frailty shortly after transplantation, there is limited study on frailty prevalence and risk factors in patients with long-term posttransplantation follow-up. This prospective study aimed to investigate the prevalence of frailty and its associated risk factors in long-term kidney transplant recipients at Severance Hospital from November 2022 to July 2023. Frailty was assessed using the Fried phenotype score, and individuals with a score of 2 or higher were classified as frail. The study included 487 patients, with a median age of 60 years (interquartile range [IQR], 55–65 years). Among them, 52.2% were male. The median posttransplantation follow-up was 91 months (IQR, 50–155 months). Glucocorticoids were maintained in 93.8% of patients, and 97.3% received tacrolimus as maintenance immunosuppressive agent. The overall prevalence of frailty among all patients was 13.8% (67/487). The prevalence of frailty in males and females was 12.6% and 15.0%, respectively. Within 1–5 years, 5–10 years, and over 10 years posttransplantation, the frailty prevalence was 10.9%, 10.7%, and 18.3%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified several factors associated with a higher frailty risk, including low body mass index and longer time after transplant. Conversely, higher serum total protein and hemoglobin levels, as well as increased physical activity, were associated with a potential lower frailty risk. This study suggests that adequate nutritional support and exercise may help mitigate frailty risk in long-term kidney transplant recipients.