Severe obesity among patients with left ventricular assist devices.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Patients with obesity and advanced heart failure requiring left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support are more likely to experience LVAD complications and may be disproportionately Black and/or female when compared to patients without obesity. Among these patients, obesity may represent a barrier to transplant eligibility and a marker of inequity in heart transplantation and health outcomes in advanced heart failure. METHODS: To better understand this issue at our institution, we examined our active LVAD cohort and found that almost one-third of all patients had severe obesity with BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2. RESULTS: Patients with LVADs and severe obesity were significantly younger and more likely to self-identify as Black, and numerically more likely to be female. CONCLUSION: Weight management in this group represents a vital area for improved equity in health outcomes and barriers to heart transplantation. TRIAL REGISTRATION NA.