Weight trends in living kidney donors suggest predonation counselling alone lacks a sustainable effect on weight loss: a single centre cohort study.

Living kidney donors are at risk of long-term end-stage renal disease, and obesity is an independent risk factor. In our centre, predonation counselling of obese donors concentrates on lifestyle modifications, particularly weight loss and exercise. Whether these recommendations have a sustainable effect after donation remains unknown. We conducted a retrospective analysis of all donors who proceeded to donation between 2012 and 2016. Donors' body mass index (BMI) was compared between predefined time points using matched pair analysis. Among 303 donors included, 15% were obese at initial assessment. Obese donors were observed to lose weight by the time of donation (mean BMI difference 1.32 kg/m2 , P < 0.001), but bounced back to their initial weight at one-year postdonation (mean BMI difference + 1.47 kg/m2 , P < 0.001), which was maintained at two-year postdonation. While 71% of obese donors lost weight by the time of donation, 56% of them gained that weight back at one year. Our findings underline the success of predonation counselling on lifestyle modification in highly motivated obese donors, although additional strategies are required to sustain weight loss. The impact of weight gain on long-term risk needs further evaluation. Living donor programmes should provide continued support with lifestyle modifications after donation.