Cigarette Smoking in Living Kidney Donors Linked to Graft Loss

TUESDAY, Oct. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For living kidney donors, cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk for all-cause graft loss, according to a study published online Oct. 1 in Kidney360.Machi Kaneko McBee, M.D., from the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database, including 88,490 individuals who underwent living donor kidney-only transplantation to examine the association between any donor smoking history and graft loss.The researchers found that the risks for all-cause graft loss and first-year acute rejection were increased for recipients of organs from donors with any smoking history (hazard ratio, 1.13; odds ratio, 1.18). Both active and prior smoking in the donor were associated with an increased risk for graft loss compared with never smoking (hazard ratios, 1.19 and 1.10, respectively), with a higher hazard for active versus prior smoking. The highest risks for graft loss, delayed graft function, and acute rejection were seen for grafts from donors with >20 pack-year smoking history (hazard ratio, 1.29; odds ratios, 1.24 and 1.31, respectively)."Our findings suggest that smoking history, particularly heavy smoking exposure, should be considered during living donor evaluation and counseling," McBee said in a statement. "At the same time, living donor transplantation remains a highly beneficial treatment option and smoking history alone should not automatically disqualify an otherwise suitable donor."One author disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Cigarette Smoking in Living Kidney Donors Linked to Graft Loss

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