Recommended Citation
Gopinathannair R, Pothineni NVK, Trivedi JR, Roukoz H, Cowger J, Ahmed MM, Bhan A, A KR, Bhat G, Al Ahmad A, Natale A, Di Biase L, Slaughter MS, and Lakkireddy D. Amiodarone Use and All-Cause Mortality in Patients With a Continuous-Flow Left Ventricular Assist Device. J Am Heart Assoc 2022; 11(11):e023762.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
6-7-2022
Publication Title
J Am Heart Assoc
Abstract
Background: Atrial and ventricular arrhythmias are commonly encountered in patients with advanced heart failure, with amiodarone being the most commonly used antiarrhythmic drug in continuous-flow left ventricular assist device (CF-LVAD) recipients. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of amiodarone use on long-term all-cause mortality in patients with a CF-LVAD.
Methods and Results: A retrospective multicenter study of CF-LVAD was conducted at 5 centers including all CF-LVAD implants from 2007 to 2015. Patients were stratified based on pre-CF-LVAD implant amiodarone use. Additional use of amiodarone after CF-LVAD implantation was also evaluated. Primary outcome was all-cause mortality during long-term follow-up. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to assess survival outcomes. Multivariable Cox regression was used to identify predictors of outcomes. Propensity matching was done to address baseline differences. A total of 480 patients with a CF-LVAD (aged 58±13 years, 81% men) were included. Of these, 170 (35.4%) were on chronic amiodarone therapy at the time of CF-LVAD implant, and 310 (64.6%) were not on amiodarone. Rate of all-cause mortality over the follow-up period was 32.9% in the amiodarone group compared with 29.6% in those not on amiodarone (P=0.008). Similar results were noted in the propensity-matched group (log-rank, P=0.04). On multivariable Cox regression analysis, amiodarone use at baseline was independently associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.68 [95% CI, 1.1-2.5]; P=0.01).
Conclusions: Amiodarone use was associated with significantly increased rates of all-cause mortality in CF-LVAD recipients. Earlier interventions for arrhythmias to avoid long-term amiodarone exposure may improve long-term outcomes in CF-LVAD recipients and needs further study.
Medical Subject Headings
Amiodarone; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Female; Heart Failure; Heart-Assist Devices; Humans; Male; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed ID
35656998
Volume
11
Issue
11
First Page
023762
Last Page
023762
