Endocrine Abstracts

After a successful kidney transplant, the nutrition of patients is improved and they gain weight. Increased appetite due to medication, age of transplant, gender, race, pre-transplant obesity story and dialysis type increase the obesity frequency. We aimed to evaluate the effect of gender on nutrition and exercise habits on transplant recipients.

Methods: Stable patients were divided into two groups according to gender: 29 males and 33 females. Their nutrition and exercise habits of recipients were questioned by a survey. The 3-day dietary regimen of all patients was studied using the BEBIS™ programme.

Results: Charateristics of groups similar. BMI, blood pressure, hip circumference, suprailiac and suprascapular fold thicknesses of the groups were not different. The waist (90.3 vs 98.2 cm, P=0.01), mid-arm (27.2 vs 28.9 cm, P<0.05), triceps (16.1 vs 11.8 cm, P<0.01) and neck (36.6 vs 41.5 cm, P<0.001) circumferences in female recipients were lower than those of males. The body fat percentage of females (30.9 vs 23.8, P<0.01) were lower. HDL levels in males are significantly lower among lipid and apolipoprotein levels. The ratios of eating at home, using oils and exercising in both groups were similar. When recipients’ daily diets were evaluated, intake of fat in males was higher than that of females (63.3±4.1 vs 70.1±3.1 g, P<0.05). There was no difference in total energy (1645±68 vs 1681±62 kcal), water (1590±79 vs 1665±76 ml), protein (70.4±4 vs 75.8±3.5 g), carbonhydrate (197.7±9 vs 191.8±11.4 g), fiber (25.7±2.4 vs 24.1±1.7 g) and polyunsaturated fatty acid (12.8±1 vs 13.4±1) intakes between females and males, respectively. Also vitamin intake of both groups were comparable except carotene intake of females (5.3±0.4 vs 4±0.3, P<0.05).

Conclusion: We observed no difference in nutrition and exercise habits between male and female recipients. Although the percentage of body fat in males was lower, the amount of fat consume in their diets was higher. The waist and neck circumferences, which is important for the risk of cardiovascular disease, were higher in males.