The risk of mortality for heart transplant patients is 10 times greater for patients with the most risk factors compared to patients with the least risk factors, ranging from 1.6 to 16 percent, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
After one year, mortality rates between the low- and high-risk groups differed more than 20 percent, with low-risk mortality at 5.2 percent and high-risk mortality at 26.7 percent. Despite their much higher death risk, the patients with the worst health derived the most health benefits from receiving a transplant.
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Factors that put patients at a higher risk of post-transplant mortality included older age, congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, ventilator support, mechanical support and/or kidney dysfunction.
Researchers concluded this new risk estimate suggests current transplant waiting list systems may not provide maximal benefits from the available transplant organs, which a reorganization of the waiting list based on risk might accomplish.
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