Post-transplant hyperlipidemia: mechanisms and management.

Hyperlipidemia is common after renal transplantation. In recent years, much progress has been made in understanding the causes and treatment of lipid abnormalities in renal transplant patients. Recently, short-term studies have shown that newer antilipemic agents appear to be safe and effective in treating hyperlipidemia in this population. Despite the absence of large, controlled clinical trials examining the effect of lipid-lowering strategies on cardiovascular disease and chronic renal allograft rejection, therapy appears to be warranted in renal transplant patients with an atherogenic lipid profile and multiple risk factors.