Obesity Leads to Increased Mortality in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients - A Pediatric Heart Transplant Society Study
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2020
Identifier
DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2020.01.1315
Abstract
Purpose
The obesity epidemic has afflicted children of all ages with heart transplant (HT) recipients at significant risk compared to their pediatric counterpart. This study is the first large scale study to evaluate the prevalence of obesity in pediatric HT recipients and its effects on cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) and graft survival.
Methods
We evaluated pediatric HT recipients (age < 20 years) transplanted between 01/1996-09/2018 from the Pediatric Heart Transplant Society (PHTS) database, a prospective multi-center database for pediatric HT institutions. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥95th %ile (CDC guidelines; age >2 years) and weight/length z score >95%ile (WHO guidelines; ageyears). Freedom from CAV development and graft loss were analyzed based on anthropometric measures at transplant for BMI. Cox proportional hazards regression model was utilized to identify risk factors for both CAV development and graft loss.
Results
4756 pediatric HT patients (pts) met study criteria (mean age at 1 year post-HT = 6.7 ± 6.2 yrs; 44.6% female; 69.5% White). At HT, 56% had a normal weight, 10% were overweight, 11% were obese and 23% were underweight. Overall, ∼60% had normal BMI that remained consistent up to 15 years post-HT (56-69%). For obese pts at HT, there was an increased risk for CAV development (HR 1.5, p = 0.002) and graft loss (HR 1.3, p = 0.001), see Figure. The risk of CAV development remained significant for obese pts at 5 years post-HT (p <0.001).
Conclusion
Only 60% of pediatric HT recipients had ideal BMI at 1 year and 5 year follow up. Obesity at HT predicts an increased risk of CAV and graft loss. Exploring metabolic risk factors that lead to CAV development and graft loss are important. Healthy lifestyle interventions pre-HT and during HT follow up may potentially reduce morbidity and mortality.
Journal Title
The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation
Volume
39
Issue
4S
First Page
85
Last Page
86
Recommended Citation
Bogle, C., Cantor, R., Koehl, D., Lochridge, J., Barnes, A. P., Wallis, G., Amdani, S., Ameduri, R., Pahl, E., Simpson, K., Blume, E. Obesity Leads to Increased Mortality in Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients - A Pediatric Heart Transplant Society Study The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation 39, 85-86 (2020).
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