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Medication adherence and rejection rates in older vs younger adult liver transplant recipients
Author(s) -
Leven Emily A.,
Annunziato Rachel,
Helcer Jacqueline,
Lieber Sarah R.,
Knight Christopher S.,
Wlodarkiewicz Catherine,
Soriano Rainier P.,
Florman Sander S.,
Schiano Thomas D.,
Shemesh Eyal
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
clinical transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1399-0012
pISSN - 0902-0063
DOI - 10.1111/ctr.12981
Subject(s) - medicine , incidence (geometry) , liver transplantation , young adult , medical record , retrospective cohort study , transplantation , pediatrics , gerontology , demography , physics , optics , sociology
A growing number of older adults are undergoing liver transplantation ( LT ) in the United States. In some settings, it is thought that adherence declines with age. This retrospective study examined adherence and clinical outcomes in older vs younger adult LT recipients. Medical records of adult LT recipients from 2009 to 2012 from a single urban center were reviewed. The medication level variability index ( MLVI ) was the predefined primary outcome, with nonadherence defined as MLVI >2.5. The secondary outcome was incidence of rejection. Outcomes were evaluated starting 1 year post‐ LT until 2015. A total of 42 of 248 patients were ≥65 at transplant. Older adults had significantly better adherence than younger ones (65%≥65 were adherent vs 42% younger adults; chi‐square two‐tailed P =.02). Survival analyses of rejection between age groups censored by time since transplant showed no difference among the four age groups (χ 2 =0.84, P =.84). Older age was not found to be a risk factor for reduced adherence or graft rejection in patients surviving at least 1 year post‐ LT .