Higher Body Mass Index Associated with Decreased Exchange-Free Survival at One Year in Patients with Left Ventricular Assist Devices

Introduction Heart failure and obesity are two growing epidemics in the United States with significant overlap in patient populations. Morbid obesity is currently a relative contraindication to cardiac transplantation as previous data has shown decreased survival with extremes of body mass index (BMI). However, there is limited data that explores the relationship between BMI and adverse outcomes following left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation. This study aims to determine if there is an association between higher BMI and exchange-free survival at one year post LVAD implantation. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study with patients who had undergone LVAD implantation at Barnes-Jewish Hospital between 2005 and 2018. Patients with age Results We examined 734 patients who underwent LVAD implantation, including 574 HeartMate II devices (78%), 124 HeartWare HVAD devices (17%), and 36 HeartMate III devices (5%). Compared to BMI Conclusion In this cohort, higher BMI is associated with decreased exchange-free survival in LVAD patients. Further studies are needed to clarify impact of BMI on adverse clinical outcomes.