Cardiovascular Evaluation of Renal Transplant Recipients

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the major causes of death among renal transplant recipients. Moreover, several prospective studies among renal transplant recipients showed that increased incidence of CVD is still present after transplantation. Therefore, evaluation for the presence of CVD before transplantation is strongly advised. Although several screening tests are used for the detection of CVD, the relative performance of these tests for coronary artery disease (CAD) is uncertain. This review discusses the definition, risk factors, epidemiology, and the most used screening tests that might help cardiologists in providing information about the diagnosis and risk stratification before renal transplantation.