Incidence of cardiovascular disease and mortality in childhood solid organ transplant recipients: a population-based study
Academic Article
Overview
Research
Identity
Additional Document Info
View All
Overview
abstract
Background
With improved survival among children after transplantation, our understanding of the risk for developing other comorbidities is improving, yet little is known about the long-term risk of cardiovascular events and mortality after solid organ transplantation.
Methods
In a cohort study using health administrative data, we compared cardiovascular events in children (n = 615) with liver, lung, kidney, small bowel, or multi-organ transplant at the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada, with asthmatic children (n = 481,697) between 1996 and 2014. Outcomes included non-fatal cardiovascular events, cardiovascular death, all-cause mortality, and a composite of non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular events. Time-stratified Cox proportional hazards models were used.
Results
Among 615 children, 317 (52%) were recipients of kidneys, 253 (41%) of livers, and the remaining 45 (7%) had lung, small bowel, or multi-organ transplants. Median follow-up was 12.1 [7.2, 16.7] years. Non-fatal incident cardiovascular events were 34 times higher among solid organ transplant recipients than non-transplanted children (incidence rate ratio (IRR) 34.4, 95% CI: 25.5, 46.4). Among transplant recipients, the cumulative incidence of non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular events was 2.3% and 13.0%, 5 and 15 years after transplantation, respectively.
Conclusions
Increased rate of cardiovascular events in children after transplantation highlights the need for surveillance during transition into adulthood and beyond. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.