The elderly liver transplant recipients: anxiety, depression, fatigue and life satisfaction

Introduction  Older patients are neglected in clinical trials and are likely to be excluded from liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study was to assess fatigue, anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in elderly LT recipients. Methods  Questionnaires were mailed to patients who underwent LT between 1993 and 2013. Three groups were created: patients ≥ 70, 60 – 69, and Results  In total, 276 eligible questionnaires (40.1 %) were received out of 689 patients with a history of LT. No age-related differences were found with regard to anxiety or depression in the study sample. Patients ≥ 70 years old had significantly better life satisfaction in regards to income (p = 0.003) and work (p = 0.005) compared to patients Discussion  Advanced age alone should not be considered a contraindication for LT due to potentially poor quality of life outcomes.