Severe obesity among patients with left ventricular assist devices

Abstract

Patients with obesity and advanced heart failure requiring left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support are more likely to experience LVAD complications and may be disproportionately Black and/or female when compared to patients without obesity. Among these patients, obesity may represent a barrier to transplant eligibility and a marker of inequity in heart transplantation and health outcomes in advanced heart failure. To better understand this issue at our institution, we examined our active LVAD cohort and found that almost one-third of all patients had severe obesity with BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2. Patients with LVADs and severe obesity were significantly younger and more likely to self-identify as Black, and numerically more likely to be female. Weight management in this group represents a vital area for improved equity in health outcomes and barriers to heart transplantation. NA.