Elderly Patients With Higher Acuity Have Similar Left Ventricular Assist Device Outcomes as Younger Patients at a Nontransplant Center

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology Vol. 189; pp. 93 - 97
• Main Authors: George, Timothy J., Kabra, Nitin, DiMaio, J. Michael, Rawitscher, David A., Afzal, Aasim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15.02.2023; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Acuity; Adult; Age; Aged; Creatinine; Evaluation; Heart; Heart failure; Heart Failure - epidemiology; Heart Failure - surgery; Heart Transplantation - methods; Heart-Assist Devices - adverse effects; Humans; Implantation; Laboratories; Middle Aged; Mortality; Older people; Prosthesis Implantation; Retrospective Studies; Survival; Transplantation; Transplants & implants; Treatment Outcome; Variables; Ventricle; Ventricular assist devices; United States > US; Texas
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2022.11.027

Although left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is associated with acceptable survival, previous reports have demonstrated that advanced age is associated with increased short-term mortality. Because age is a relative contraindication to transplantation, nontransplant centers tend to implant a disproportionate number of elderly patients. We undertook this study to evaluate the impact of advanced age on LVAD outcomes at a nontransplant center. We conducted a retrospective review of all LVAD implants at our center from 2017 to 2022. Primary stratification was by age >70 years. The primary outcome was survival as assessed by the Kaplan–Meier method. The risk of 1-year mortality was further evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression modeling. From 2017 to 2022, 93 patients underwent LVAD implantation. The mean age was 65.03 ± 11.28 years, with a median age of 68 (60 to 73) years. Most patients were INTERMACS 1 or 2 (71 patients; 76.34%). When stratified by age, 41 patients (44.09%) were aged ≥70 years. Patients aged ≥70 years had similar 30-day (96.15% vs 100.00%, p = 0.213), 1-year (90.05% vs 84.00%, p = 0.444), and 2-year survival (82.03% vs 84.00%, p = 0.870). When only the INTERMACS 1 and 2 patients with higher acuity were included, there was still no difference in 30-day, 1-year, or 2-year survival. On multivariable analysis, age >70 years was not associated with an increased hazard of 1-year mortality (0.90 [0.22 to 3.67], p = 0.878). In conclusion, in carefully selected patients, age >70 years is not associated with increased short-term mortality. Age alone should not be a contraindication to LVAD therapy.