Many Kidney Transplant Recipients Back to Work

THURSDAY, Sept. 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Employed kidney transplant recipients report that they function very well at work, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Tim J. Knobbe, M.D., from University of Groningen in the Netherlands, and colleagues examined work-functioning trajectories before and after kidney transplantation. The analysis included 668 kidney transplant recipients of working age at a median three years after transplantation, 246 potential kidney donors of working age, and 553 community-dwelling employed adults.

The researchers found that the proportion of employed kidney transplant recipients was lower than potential kidney donors (56 versus 79 percent). The work-functioning score of employed kidney transplant recipients was slightly lower than employed potential kidney donors but higher than community-dwelling employed adults. Lower educational level, having a kidney from a deceased donor, presence of tingling or numbness of hands or feet, presence of concentration/memory problems, presence of anxiety, and presence of severe fatigue were independently associated with lower work functioning among kidney transplant recipients. Work-functioning scores were lower before transplantation than at 12 months after transplantation.

“This study is a clear message to employers that kidney transplant recipients can function very well at work, which can help to reduce any stigma regarding work and work functioning after kidney transplantation,” Knobbe said in a statement. “In addition, these results may help to guide caregivers and patients with kidney failure on what to expect of life after kidney transplantation.”

Several authors disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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