The relationship between both donor renal dysfunction and recipient renal dysfunction and the composite outcome of death or retransplantation was examined in 23,056 patients in the United Network for Organ Sharing database.

Renal dysfunction (defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m²) was present in 17.9% of donors and 39.4% of cardiac transplant recipients.

Donor renal dysfunction was not significantly associated with recipient death or retransplantation.

Recipient renal dysfunction was significantly associated with an increased risk of recipient death or retransplantation, a risk that appeared to be greatest in the first 30 days posttransplant.