Purpose of review: The epidemiologic phenomenon known as the "Hispanic paradox" postulates that Hispanic/Latino Americans generally tend to live longer than other racial/ethnic communities, despite facing many socioeconomic disadvantages and other healthcare barriers. Whether this phenomenon is relevant among kidney transplantation (KT) recipients remains unclear. To investigate the possibility of a Hispanic mortality advantage, we conducted a systematic review of the published literature comparing short-term KT outcomes (first 12-months) for US Hispanic versus non-Hispanic White KT recipients.
Recent findings: This systematic review summarizes recent findings from sixteen observational retrospective cohort studies that met our study criteria. Study sample sizes ranged from 42 to 244 037 total KT recipients and examined data between 2005 and 2022. Compared to their Non-Hispanic comparator, the Hispanic sub-samples were more likely to be younger, spend more time on dialysis, and less likely to receive preemptive transplant or living donation. Hispanic KT recipients experienced similar or more favorable outcomes in eleven studies (ten studies examining patient and graft survival, one study examining readmissions), but only three studies with statistical significance.
Summary: As the US Hispanic and Latino population continues to grow into the diverse American melting pot, this review highlights the need for better approaches to studying racial and ethnic variables within kidney transplantation.
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