An Unexpected Gift: How Donating a Kidney Can Also Help Protect Your Health

When you apply to become a living kidney donor, you are stepping forward to change—and even save—someone’s life. But along the way, you may also gain something personally valuable: a comprehensive, no-cost evaluation of your health.

As part of the living donor evaluation process, you will receive what is often described as the most thorough physical of your life. Highly specialized doctors and transplant professionals will review your medical history, run extensive blood and urine tests, conduct imaging studies, and evaluate your heart, kidneys, and overall well-being. Your safety is their highest priority, and they leave no stone unturned to ensure you are healthy enough to donate.

While the goal of this evaluation is to ensure that donation would be safe for you, it can also lead to early detection of health conditions you might not otherwise know about. In fact, many people have learned they have high blood pressure, early-stage diabetes, cancer, kidney issues, anatomical abnormalities, or other conditions during their donor evaluation—allowing them to seek early treatment and improve their long-term health.

For example, Tywa Hughes decided to donate a kidney to a friend. She sailed through all the testing, until it came to her required mammogram, which led to a breast cancer diagnosis. After having a double mastectomy, she was cleared to move forward with donation.

In another case, two potential donors were eliminated for different reasons discovered during evaluation: one had an extra artery, and the other had a single oversized kidney instead of two average-sized ones. Neither had any idea before undergoing the donor screening. “That’s the thing about the screening process—worst-case scenario, you get to know everything about yourself,” said Michael Culley, who donated his kidney when the others were ruled out.

A 2023 study found that 115 out of 429 potential living kidney donors screened at the Rhode Island Hospital transplant center were diagnosed with unexpected medical conditions during the evaluation process, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and renal issues. While the identification of these conditions ruled them out as kidney donors, they were able to get early intervention and treatment, potentially preventing more severe health issues in the future.

In a 10-year retrospective study at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, 8.5% of 762 potential donors were excluded due to newly diagnosed serious medical conditions, including cancers, infectious diseases, significant kidney issues like bilateral renal stones, and cardiac conditions requiring interventions, including surgery. ​

If you’re considering kidney donation, your motivation should come from a genuine desire to help someone in need, not simply to access a free medical evaluation. However, the comprehensive health screening involved can also provide you with valuable insights into your own health.