Hypertension after kidney transplantation

Abstract

Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease. While graft survival has considerably improved with current immunosuppressive strategies, long-term prognosis is dependent on cardiovascular complications. There is a high prevalence of arterial hypertension after kidney transplantation. Hypertension can be associated with traditional risk factors or directly linked with the anatomy and the function of the kidney allograft, as well as with the immunosuppressive treatment. Current blood pressure targets are <130/80 mmHg, but there is a lack of evidence regarding the impact on cardiovascular and graft outcomes. In this review, we discuss the epidemiology, the causes as well as the management of hypertension after kidney transplantation.