Weight gain after pancreas transplantation tied to poor blood sugar control in T1D: Study

Spain: Weight gain after pancreas transplantation (PT) is associated with a worse glycemic profile in patients with type 1 diabetes, a recent study has found. The study findings appear in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.

Whole-organ pancreas and islet transplantations are performed in a highly selected group of patients with diabetes mellitus, primarily those with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Pancreas transplantation is most often performed simultaneous with a kidney transplant, but patients with particularly labile type 1 diabetes may be considered for a pancreas transplant alone. While highly successful at restoring insulin independence, pancreas transplants carry the significant risks of major surgery and immunosuppression.

Antonio J. Amor, Diabetes Unit, Endocrinology and Nutrition Department, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues aimed to evaluate the weight trajectories after pancreas transplantation and their relationships with pancreas graft outcomes in type 1 diabetes (T1D) in a retrospective cohort study.

For this purpose, the researchers recruited type 1 diabetes who underwent pancreas transplantation. They were divided into three groups according to transplantation date: 1999-2004 (n=57), 2005-2009 (n=79), 2010-2015 (n=58). For weight comparisons, a random sample of T1D without renal impairment was also recruited during 2015 (n=61; T1D-control). The median follow-up for the T1D-PT group was 11.1 years.