Insights Into Health-Related Quality of Life of Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Narrative Review of Associated Factors

Life expectancy and graft survival continue to improve after transplantation. However, improved posttransplant clinical outcomes do not necessarily translate into improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Therefore, there is an increased focus on HRQoL in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs)....

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Main Authors: Tim J. Knobbe, Daan Kremer, Ute Bültmann, Coby Annema, Gerjan Navis, Stefan P. Berger, Stephan J.L. Bakker, Yvette Meuleman
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Kidney Medicine
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590059525000226
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author Tim J. Knobbe
Daan Kremer
Ute Bültmann
Coby Annema
Gerjan Navis
Stefan P. Berger
Stephan J.L. Bakker
Yvette Meuleman
author_facet Tim J. Knobbe
Daan Kremer
Ute Bültmann
Coby Annema
Gerjan Navis
Stefan P. Berger
Stephan J.L. Bakker
Yvette Meuleman
author_sort Tim J. Knobbe
collection DOAJ
description Life expectancy and graft survival continue to improve after transplantation. However, improved posttransplant clinical outcomes do not necessarily translate into improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Therefore, there is an increased focus on HRQoL in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). The HRQoL of KTRs is worse than that of the general population, but interventions that improve HRQoL in KTRs are scarce, and health care professionals in nephrology care do not routinely address HRQoL. To improve HRQoL, it is essential to understand which factors play a role in HRQoL and to pinpoint areas for intervention. This narrative review maps the concept of HRQoL within the KTR population and provides a comprehensive overview of factors associated with posttransplant HRQoL. The results are structured using an easy-to-understand conceptual model of HRQoL, which is instrumental for understanding how HRQoL is constituted of many clinical and nonclinical factors. We conclude that symptom burden among KTRs is high, which is likely a key driver of the limited HRQoL in this population. Moreover, myriad other clinical and nonclinical factors are associated with HRQoL, but the majority of the evidence is observational.
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spelling doaj-art-c610cea3c42d4cbeb57e73b8a74e11412025-08-20T02:51:38ZengElsevierKidney Medicine2590-05952025-05-017510098610.1016/j.xkme.2025.100986Insights Into Health-Related Quality of Life of Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Narrative Review of Associated FactorsTim J. Knobbe0Daan Kremer1Ute Bültmann2Coby Annema3Gerjan Navis4Stefan P. Berger5Stephan J.L. Bakker6Yvette Meuleman7Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands; Address for Correspondence: Tim J. Knobbe, Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, P.O. Box 30.001, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsCommunity and Occupational Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsSection of Nursing Science, Department of Health Sciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsDivision of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The NetherlandsDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, NetherlandsLife expectancy and graft survival continue to improve after transplantation. However, improved posttransplant clinical outcomes do not necessarily translate into improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Therefore, there is an increased focus on HRQoL in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). The HRQoL of KTRs is worse than that of the general population, but interventions that improve HRQoL in KTRs are scarce, and health care professionals in nephrology care do not routinely address HRQoL. To improve HRQoL, it is essential to understand which factors play a role in HRQoL and to pinpoint areas for intervention. This narrative review maps the concept of HRQoL within the KTR population and provides a comprehensive overview of factors associated with posttransplant HRQoL. The results are structured using an easy-to-understand conceptual model of HRQoL, which is instrumental for understanding how HRQoL is constituted of many clinical and nonclinical factors. We conclude that symptom burden among KTRs is high, which is likely a key driver of the limited HRQoL in this population. Moreover, myriad other clinical and nonclinical factors are associated with HRQoL, but the majority of the evidence is observational.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590059525000226
spellingShingle Tim J. Knobbe
Daan Kremer
Ute Bültmann
Coby Annema
Gerjan Navis
Stefan P. Berger
Stephan J.L. Bakker
Yvette Meuleman
Insights Into Health-Related Quality of Life of Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Narrative Review of Associated Factors
Kidney Medicine
title Insights Into Health-Related Quality of Life of Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Narrative Review of Associated Factors
title_full Insights Into Health-Related Quality of Life of Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Narrative Review of Associated Factors
title_fullStr Insights Into Health-Related Quality of Life of Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Narrative Review of Associated Factors
title_full_unstemmed Insights Into Health-Related Quality of Life of Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Narrative Review of Associated Factors
title_short Insights Into Health-Related Quality of Life of Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Narrative Review of Associated Factors
title_sort insights into health related quality of life of kidney transplant recipients a narrative review of associated factors
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590059525000226
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