Blood pressure control according to clinical practice guidelines is associated with decreased mortality and cardiovascular events among liver transplant recipients. Issue 3 (9th December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: VanWagner, Lisa B.; Holl, Jane L.; Montag, Samantha; Gregory, Dyanna; Connolly, Sean; Kosirog, Megan; Campbell, Patrick; Pine, Stewart; Daud, Amna; Finn, Dan; Ladner, Daniela; Skaro, Anton I.; Levitsky, Josh; Lloyd‐Jones, Donald M.
• Is Part Of: American journal of transplantation. Volume 20:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 797
• Page End: 807
• Publication Date: 2019-12-09
• Subjects: cardiovascular disease -- clinical research/practice -- health services and outcomes research -- hypertension/antihypertensives -- liver transplantation/hepatology; Transplantation of organs, tissues, etc -- Periodicals; 617.95
• DOI: 10.1111/ajt.15706
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1600-6135

Abstract

Abstract : Data for liver transplant recipients (LTRs) regarding the benefit of care concordant with clinical practice guidelines for management of blood pressure (BP) are sparse. This paper reports on clinician adherence with BP clinical practice guideline recommendations and whether BP control is associated with mortality and cardiovascular events (CVEs) among LTRs. We conducted a longitudinal cohort study of adult LTRs who survived to hospital discharge at a large tertiary care network between 2010 and 2016. The primary exposure was a BP of <140/<90 mm Hg within year 1 of LT. Among 602 LTRs (mean age 56.7 years, 64% men), 92% had hypertension and 38% had new onset hypertension. Less than 30% of LTRs achieved a BP of <140/<90 mm Hg over a mean of 43.2 months. In multivariable models, adjusted for key confounders, BP control post‐LT compared with lack of control was associated with a significantly lower hazard of mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.39, 0.87) and of CVEs (HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.43, 0.97). The association between BP control of <140/<90 mm Hg with improved survival and decreased CVEs in LTRs suggests that efforts to improve clinician adherence to BP clinical practice recommendations should be intensified. Abstract : In a single‐center retrospective cohort study of liver transplant recipients, the authors demonstrate that systolic blood pressure < 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg, concordant with contemporaneous clinical practice guidelines for the management of blood pressure, is associated with a 35% reduction in cardiovascular events and 52% lower mortality after liver transplantation. An editorial from Serper and Asrani is on page 629 .