In-hospital mortality in older patients after ventricular assist device implantation: A national cohort study

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

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.

Heart Transplantation of the Elderly-Old Donors for Old Recipients: Can We Still Achieve Acceptable Results?

As society is ageing, an increasing prevalence of elderly heart failure patients will be expected. In order to increase the donor pool, acceptance of older donors might be a reasonable choice. All patients undergoing heart transplantation between 2010 and 2021 at a single department were retrospectively reviewed and divided into different study groups with regard to recipient (≤60 years (R^Y) or >60 years (R^O)) and donor age (≤50 years (D^Y) or >50 years (D^O). A total of n = 201 patients were included (D^Y/R^Y, n = 91; D^O/R^Y, n = 38; D^Y/R^O, n = 41; D^O/R^O, n = 31). Neither incidence of severe primary graft dysfunction (p = 0.64) nor adverse events, such as kidney failure (p = 0.27), neurological complications (p = 0.63), infections (p = 0.21) or acute graft rejection (p = 1.00), differed between the groups. However, one-year survival was impaired in the D^O/R^O group (56.0%) compared to the other groups (D^Y/R^Y: 86.1%, D^Y/R^O: 78.8%, D^O/R^Y: 74.2%, p = 0.02). Given the impaired one-year survival, acceptance of grafts from old donors for old recipients should be performed with caution and by experienced centres only. Nevertheless, because of the otherwise dismal prognosis of elderly heart failure patients, transplantation of patients may still improve the therapy outcome.

Mechanical circulatory support devices in geriatric patients: more than just age

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The use of mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices, such as left ventricular assist device and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in the elderly have been rapidly increasing in various clinical settings over the past two decades. This review briefly summarizes recent literature on the role and outcomes of such mechanical circulatory support devices use in the elderly.

RECENT FINDINGS

Elderly patients are receiving increasing number of LVADs with improved survival and quality-of-life outcomes, despite multiple comorbidities. ECMO is a viable option in elderly patients but they have a higher risk of mortality after both VA ECMO and VV ECMO support. However, comorbidities, clinical presentation and timing of ECMO initiation seems to have a greater impact on prognosis than for younger patients.

SUMMARY

MCS device use continue to rise in the elderly population. Meticulously selected elderly patients could be successfully supported with MCS devices with favorable outcomes and acceptable mortality and complication rate.

Left ventricular assist devices in the elderly: Marching forward with cautions

Congestive heart failure is highly prevalent in the elderly population and left ventricular assist device (LVAD) has been increasingly used in this population. LVAD therapy is more costly than medical treatment but it increases the survival and quality of life of the elderly patients with low disease acuity. Therefore careful selection of candidates and implementation of LVAD therapy earlier in the course of the disease is crucial to improve outcomes. With the technical advances and improvement in clinical management, the financial burden of LVAD therapy in the elderly will become less, making this therapy more economically feasible.

Septuagenarian population has similar survival and outcomes to younger patients after left ventricular assist device implantation

BACKGROUND

Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation may be an attractive alternative therapeutic option for elderly patients with heart failure who are ineligible for heart transplantation.

AIM

We aimed to describe the characteristics and outcomes of elderly patients (i.e. aged≥70 years) receiving an LVAD.

METHODS

This observational study was conducted in 19 centres between 2006 and 2016. Patients were divided into two groups-younger (aged<70 years) and elderly (aged≥70 years), based on age at time of LVAD implantation.

RESULTS

A total of 652 patients were included in the final analysis, and 74 patients (11.3%) were aged≥70 years at the time of LVAD implantation (maximal age 77.6 years). The proportion of elderly patients receiving an LVAD each year was constant, with a median of 10.6% (interquartile range 8.0-15.4%) per year, and all were implanted as destination therapy. Elderly and younger patients had similar durations of hospitalization in intensive care units and total lengths of hospital stays. Both age groups experienced similar rates of LVAD-related complications (i.e. stroke, bleeding, driveline infection and LVAD exchange), and the occurrence of LVAD complications did not impact survival in the elderly group compared with the younger group. Lastly, when compared with younger patients implanted as destination therapy, the elderly group also exhibited similar mid-term survival.

CONCLUSION

This work strongly suggests that selected elderly adults can be scheduled for LVAD implantation.

The Effect of Age on Outcomes After Destination-Therapy Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: An Analysis of the IMACS Registry

BACKGROUND

As patients with advanced heart failure are living longer, defining the impact of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) on outcomes in an aging population is of great importance. We describe overall survival, rates of adverse events (AEs), and post-AE survival in patients age ≥ 70 years vs age 50-69 years after destination-therapy (DT) LVAD implantation.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted with the use of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support (IMACS) registry. All adults age ≥ 50 years with a continuous-flow DT LVAD from 2013 to 2017 were included. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. The secondary outcomes were the incidence of and survival after gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, infection, stroke, pump thrombosis, pump exchange, and right-side heart failure. Mortality and AEs were assessed with the use of competing risk models.

RESULTS

At total of 5,572 patients were included: 3,700 aged 50-69 and 1,872 aged ≥ 70. All-cause mortality by 42 months was 55.8% in patients aged ≥ 70 and 44.8% in patients aged 50-69 (P = 0.001). Patients aged ≥ 70 had a 37.8% higher risk of death after DT LVAD implantation (hazard ratio 1.378, 95% CI 1.251-1.517). Patients aged ≥ 70 had higher risk of GI bleeding but lower risk of right-side heart failure. There was no difference between age groups for risk of infection or stroke. Experiencing any AE was associated with an increased risk of death that did not vary with age.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients aged ≥ 70 years have reduced survival after DT LVAD, in part because of increased GI bleeding, while the incidence of other AEs is similar to that of patients aged 50-69 years. Careful patient selection beyond age alone may allow for optimal outcomes after DT LVAD implantation.

Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease among Michigan Residents: A Call to Action for Population Health Initiatives

OBJECTIVE

Little is known about the cardiovascular health (CVH) and social determinants of cardiovascular diseases (SDCVDs) among Michigan residents by race and ethnicity. Therefore, the objective of this cross-sectional study was to determine the CVH of Michigan residents and to examine the relationship between CVH and SDCVDs by race/ethnicity and age.

METHODOLOGY

Michigan-level data consisting of 10,889 participants was extracted from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data. Descriptive statistics examined the adjusted proportions of the CVH measures and determined the adjusted mean CVH score for the SDCVDs among racial/ethnic groups by age. Generalized ordinal logistic regression analyses assessed the relationship between residents' CVH and SDCVDs by racial/ethnic status. All analyses were performed using STATA MP14.

RESULTS

Residents from each racial/ethnic group did not meet the criteria for ideal BMI. The mean CVH score was found to be low for Black (2.65; 95% CI, 2.41-2.89) and Hispanic (2.84; 95% CI, 2.29-3.40) residents ≥ 50 years old with a high school degree or less. Black residents unemployed for more than a year were less likely to have a high CVH score (OR = 0.45; 95% CI, 0.21-80.97) compared with Black residents employed for wages.

CONCLUSION

Michigan residents' CVH is lacking across multiple dimensions. Multifaceted population health initiatives are warranted to address influential SDCVDs to diminish the CVH disparities identified across racial/ethnic and age groups.