Key result
Modern era heart transplants linked to ~15% higher absolute 10-year survival versus earlier cohorts.
Why the study?
Donor and recipient characteristics and medical management of heart transplantation patients have changed markedly over past decades, and their impact on long-term clinical outcome was studied.
Does modern medical management improve long-term survival in heart transplant recipients despite increasing donor age compared to historical management?
Comparison
Heart transplantation 1984-1999 vs 2000-2013 with newer treatments and older donors
Design
Prospective cohort study
Follow-up
10 years
Authors
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May improve long-term heart transplant survival with modern regimens despite older donors; extends observational data but leaves causal effects open.
Cohort (n=580)
No
Does modern medical management improve long-term survival in heart transplant recipients despite increasing donor age compared to historical management?
Absolute Event Rate: 68% vs 53%
p-value: p=0.02
Long-term survival after heart transplantation has improved significantly over the last decade despite the use of older donors, likely due to advances in medical management such as tacrolimus and early statin therapy.
Zijlstra et al. (2014) conducted a cohort in Heart transplantation (n=580). Transplantation between 2000 and 2013 (Cohort B) vs. Transplantation between 1984 and 1999 (Cohort A) was evaluated on 10-year survival (p=0.02). Heart transplant recipients transplanted between 2000 and 2013 had significantly higher 10-year survival compared to those transplanted between 1984 and 1999 (68% vs 53%, P=0.02).
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