Has the UK living kidney donor population changed over time? A cross-sectional descriptive analysis of the UK living donor registry between 2006 and 2017

BackgroundA living-donor kidney transplant is the best treatment for most people with kidney failure. Population cohort studies have shown that lifetime living kidney donor risk is modified by sex, age, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), comorbidity and relationship to the recipient.ObjectivesWe investigated whether the UK population of living kidney donors has changed over time, investigating changes in donor demographics.DesignWe undertook a cross-sectional analysis of the UK living kidney donor registry between January 2006 to December 2017. Data were available on living donor sex, age, ethnicity, BMI, hypertension and relationship to recipient.SettingUK living donor registry.Participants11651 consecutive living kidney donors from January 2006 to December 2017.Outcome measuresLiving kidney donor demographic characteristics (sex, age, ethnicity, BMI and relationship to the transplant recipient) were compared across years of donation activity. Donor characteristics were also compared across different ethnic groups.ResultsOver the study period, the mean age of donors increased (from 45.8 to 48.7 years, p