Should patients 60 years and older undergo bridge to transplantation with continuous-flow left ventricular assist devices?
This study represents the largest modern cohort in which survival after OHT has been evaluated in patients 60 years or older who received BTT. Older patients have lower short-term survival after OHT when BTT is carried out with a continuous-flow LVAD compared with inotropic agents or direct transplantation.
There was no difference in acute hospital bed days in the last years of life of ever- and never-smokers but some differences by cause of death. Reducing smoking in this population will not increase acute hospital use.