Psychiatric Comorbidity and Outcomes After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation for End-Stage Heart Failure

Authors

Clancy Mullan, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Cesar Caraballo, Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Neal G. Ravindra, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
P Elliott Miller, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut; Yale National Clinician Scholars Program, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Megan McCullough, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Kelly Brown, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Tsung Wai Aw, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Jadry Gruen, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
John-Ross D. Clarke, Department of Internal Medicine (Bridgeport Hospital), Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Eric J. Velazquez, Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Arnar Geirsson, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Makoto Mori, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Nihar R. Desai, Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut; Section of Cardiovascular Medicine, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut.
Tariq Ahmad, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut; Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation, Yale School of Medicine and Yale New Haven Health, New Haven, Connecticut. Electronic address: tariq.ahmad@yale.edu.Follow

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

JACC. Heart failure

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric comorbidities play a key role in patient selection for left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), but their impact on clinical outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to examine the clinical impact of psychiatric illness on outcomes in patients receiving LVADs for end-stage heart failure (HF). METHODS: The study identified adults in the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support with psychiatric comorbidities (history of alcohol abuse, drug use, narcotic dependence, depression, and other major psychiatric diagnoses) receiving continuous-flow LVADs from 2008 to 2017. Demographic characteristics, survival, adverse events, and quality of life scores were compared for patients with and without each psychiatric comorbidity. RESULTS: Over the study period, the prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities was low: alcohol abuse, n = 1,093 (5.5%); drug use, n = 1,077 (5.4%); narcotic dependence, n = 96 (0.5%); depression, n = 401 (2.0%); and other major psychiatric illnesses, n = 265 (1.4%). Narcotic dependence (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.9; 95% confidence interval: 1.2 to 3.0; p = 0.004) and other major psychiatric illnesses (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.4; 95% confidence interval: 1.0 to 1.9; p = 0.02) were associated with increased risk of mortality, whereas alcohol abuse, drug use, and depression were not. All comorbidities except narcotic dependence were associated with increased risk of rehospitalization and device-related infection (both p < 0.05). Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire scores were lower from 6 to 24 months' post-implantation among patients with psychiatric comorbidities (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a low prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities among LVAD recipients, these conditions were associated with mortality risk, adverse events, and poorer quality of life. Further study is needed to understand how specific psychiatric conditions affect outcomes and how to best manage this vulnerable patient population.

First Page

569

Last Page

577

DOI

10.1016/j.jchf.2020.03.011

Publication Date

7-1-2020

Identifier

32535119 (pubmed); 10.1016/j.jchf.2020.03.011 (doi); S2213-1779(20)30207-9 (pii)

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