Endocrinology & Metabolic Syndrome
Open Access

Abstract

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Organ Transplantation: A Review of the Literature

Valentina Vicennati, Antonio Daniele Pinna, Maria Cristina Morelli, Uberto Pagotto and Renato Pasquali

The clinical features of the Metabolic Syndrome (MS) as risk factors for transplantation have been cited separately and extensively in the transplant literature. There are few studies in literature evaluating the prevalence of MS before and after solid organ transplantation. MS puts transplant patients at risk in in two ways: 1) MS is one more risk factor to be considered in the pretransplantation workup; and 2) the combined risk of cardiovascular disease post-transplantation as a side effect of immunosuppressive medication together with the risk from cardiovascular disease stemming from the MS might put a post-transplantation patient at vastly increased risk for a cardiovascular event. There are several reports on the treatment of MS expecially after transplantation; from lifestyle changes to drug therapies. However, to now, guidelines about management of these patients are lacking.