Diabetes Linked to Higher Death Risk After Organ Transplant, Study Finds
A study presented at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting, reveals that diabetes—whether present before or developing after a transplant—is associated with higher mortality in solid-organ transplant recipients.
"We studied how diabetes affects longevity in people post solid-organ transplant and found both ongoing and new-onset diabetes increased risk of mortality." — Mishal Ali, Study Lead, University of Chicago
Key Findings
Researchers analyzed data from over 800,000 US recipients of kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, or intestine transplants between 2003 and 2021. Two groups were compared: those with pre-existing diabetes and those who developed diabetes after transplant.
- Both groups had higher mortality than recipients without diabetes.
- For liver and heart recipients, new-onset diabetes carried a similar risk to pre-existing diabetes. For kidney recipients, new-onset diabetes was less risky than pre-existing diabetes.
- The association between diabetes and mortality varied nearly 7-fold depending on organ type.
- Among those with pre-existing diabetes, kidney recipients had the highest mortality risk, followed by heart and liver recipients, with lung recipients having the smallest increase.
- At 1 year, mortality differences were small—1-2 more deaths per 100 patients for kidney, liver, and heart recipients, and near zero for lung recipients.
- At 10 years, 24 more per 100 kidney recipients with pre-existing diabetes had died compared to those without.
- Among those with new-onset diabetes, kidney and heart recipients had the highest mortality, liver recipients slightly lower, and lung recipients the lowest.
Tailored Management is Key
Senior author Dr. Alan L. Hutchison (UChicago Medicine) emphasized the need for personalized care:
"Transplant providers should monitor closely for current and new-onset diabetes. Because of the differential effect of diabetes on recipients by organ type, prevention and management will need to be tailored." — Dr. Alan L. Hutchison, UChicago Medicine
Background
Diabetes affects about 830 million people worldwide. Organ transplant recipients have an elevated risk of developing or worsening diabetes, which can impact survival and transplant success.