Steroid withdrawal improves blood pressure control and nocturnal dipping in pediatric renal transplant recipients: analysis of a prospective, randomized, controlled trial

Background Variable effects of steroid minimization strategies on blood pressure in pediatric renal transplant recipients have been reported, but data on the effect of steroid withdrawal on ambulatory blood pressure and circadian blood pressure rhythm have not been published so far. Methods In a prospective, randomized, multicenter study on steroid withdrawal in pediatric renal transplant recipients ( n = 42) on cyclosporine, mycophenolate mofetil, and methylprednisolone, we performed a substudy in 28 patients, aged 11.2 ± 3.8 years, for whom ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) data were available. Results In the steroid-withdrawal group, the percentage of patients with arterial hypertension, defined as systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure values recorded by ABPM > 1.64 SDS and/or antihypertensive medication, at month 15 was significantly lower (35.7%, p = 0.002) than in controls (92.9%). The need of antihypertensive medication dropped significantly by 61.2% ( p