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Date issued: October 2022

Review date: October 2024

Ref: A-501/AS/Renal/Blood pressure and kidney transplantation

PDF:  Blood Pressure and Kidney Transplantation final October 2022.pdf [pdf] 197KB

Good Blood Pressure Control and Kidney Transplantation

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle post-transplantation is extremely important, as this will keep your transplant healthy for longer. Some of the best ways to do this are through good blood pressure control and stopping smoking.

It is essential that your blood pressure is as well controlled as possible, to prevent problems such as heart disease, strokes, blood vessel damage and even loss of your transplant.

Most people will still need to monitor their salt-intake post-transplant, as steroids can increase the amount of fluid your body retains. High levels of salt can make this problem worse, which in turn can increase blood pressure causing damage your new kidney.

Examples of foods to avoid that are high in salt include:

• Pre-packaged ready meals

• Cured meats, such as ham/bacon,

• Pasta sauces and tinned soups,

• Pickled foods, such as sauerkraut and olives

• Snack foods like crisps, nuts, pretzels,

• It is also best to avoid adding table salt to meals.

N.B most supermarkets have labels on the front of their foods with a traffic light system for contents, foods high in salt will always be indicated in red.

Smoking Cessation

Smoking is one of the major causes of premature death globally. Research has shown that outcomes are poorer for kidney transplant patients that smoke, compared to non-smokers. As a result, smoking cessation is highly recommended to transplant recipients.

Further information

NHS Better Health: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/

Livewell Healthy Eating: https://www.livewellswacademy.co.uk/courses/?course=Healthy+Eating+Workshop#wellbeing

NHS Quit Smoking: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/