Background: Weight changes frequently occur after cardiac transplantation (CT) and increase the risk of secondary diseases.
Objective: To determine the impact of weight variation on serum levels of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL, HDL and triglycerides of cardiac transplant patients.
Methods: Retrospective documentary study conducted with 82 adult patients undergoing CT between October 1997 and December 2005 in the State of Ceara, Brazil. A total of 83% of the patients were male and the mean age was 45.06+/-12.04 years. The variables studied were biopathological profile, weight, and body mass index (BMI) in relation to biochemical and metabolic changes. Data were described using frequencies, measures of central tendency, Student's t test and Pearson's correlation coefficient.
Results: The mean overall BMI increased from 23.77+/-3.68 kg/m2 prior to CT, to 25.48+/-3.92 kg/m2 in the first year and to 28.38+/-4.97 kg/m2 in the fifth. Overweight/obese patients (BMI > or = 25 kg/m2) showed mean values of glucose, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides higher than those of normal-weight/underweight patients (BMI < 25 kg/m2).
Conclusion: There was a significant direct relation between nutritional state and weight variability on the metabolic profile of cardiac transplant patients.