BACKGROUND: More evidence is needed to assess the pros and cons of maintaining age-limit policies in heart transplantation (HT). METHODS: We analyzed clinical data from a heart failure management unit to investigate the impact of age on prognosis of two distinct cohorts: (i) 309 patients (median age, 57 yr; 62% male) with severe chronic heart failure (CHF) consecutively screened for HT; (ii) 336 HT recipients (median age 56 yr, 82% male). RESULTS: In CHF patients (screened for HT), prognosis was conditioned by the underlying severity of cardiac disease (i.e., New York Heart Association class III-IV, decreasing blood pressure, presence of atrial fibrillation and severe mitral regurgitation), whereas increasing age showed no sign of predicting all-cause or cardiovascular mortality (both p > or = 0.4). In HT recipients, age did not retain significance at multivariate analysis as an independent predictor (p > or = 0.14 for both all-cause and cardiovascular death), whereas ischemic etiology of pre-existing CHF did (p < or = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Age did not appear to be a primary determinant of all-cause or cardiovascular mortality among potential HT candidates or eventual recipients (ischemic etiology of CHF turned out to be the major determinant of post-transplant outcome). These results support the concept that HT may be considered a treatment option in patients with more advanced age strata, particularly when affected by non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.
Age and heart transplantation: results from a heart failure management unit / Grigioni F.; Potena L.; Barbieri A.; Bianchi G.; Reggianini L.; Russo A; Fallani F.; Magnani G.; Coccolo F.; Arpesella G.; Rapezzi C.; Modena M.G.; Branzi A.. - In: CLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION. - ISSN 0902-0063. - STAMPA. - 22:(2008), pp. 150-155. [10.1111/j.1399-0012.2007.00759.x]
Age and heart transplantation: results from a heart failure management unit.
GRIGIONI, FRANCESCO;RUSSO, ANTONIO;ARPESELLA, GIORGIO;RAPEZZI, CLAUDIO;BRANZI, ANGELO
2008
Abstract
BACKGROUND: More evidence is needed to assess the pros and cons of maintaining age-limit policies in heart transplantation (HT). METHODS: We analyzed clinical data from a heart failure management unit to investigate the impact of age on prognosis of two distinct cohorts: (i) 309 patients (median age, 57 yr; 62% male) with severe chronic heart failure (CHF) consecutively screened for HT; (ii) 336 HT recipients (median age 56 yr, 82% male). RESULTS: In CHF patients (screened for HT), prognosis was conditioned by the underlying severity of cardiac disease (i.e., New York Heart Association class III-IV, decreasing blood pressure, presence of atrial fibrillation and severe mitral regurgitation), whereas increasing age showed no sign of predicting all-cause or cardiovascular mortality (both p > or = 0.4). In HT recipients, age did not retain significance at multivariate analysis as an independent predictor (p > or = 0.14 for both all-cause and cardiovascular death), whereas ischemic etiology of pre-existing CHF did (p < or = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Age did not appear to be a primary determinant of all-cause or cardiovascular mortality among potential HT candidates or eventual recipients (ischemic etiology of CHF turned out to be the major determinant of post-transplant outcome). These results support the concept that HT may be considered a treatment option in patients with more advanced age strata, particularly when affected by non-ischemic cardiomyopathy.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.