Black Patients Less Likely to Receive Heart Transplants

Compared to white patients, Black patients with advanced heart failure are sicker by the time they receive a left ventricular assist device (LVAD), a type of 'bridge' to a heart transplant. This may help explain why Black patients are less likely to receive a permanent heart transplant.

Where the inequalities emerged was when they got the device, as Black patients were more likely to be sicker by the time they received the LVAD compared to white patients, making them more likely to be deemed ineligible for a heart transplant and taken off the waiting list.

SOURCE: University of Missouri • AUTHOR: Brian Consiglio • LAST UPDATED: April 8, 2021