Predictors of death during 10 years after coronary artery bypass grafting with particular emphasis on age

To describe predictors of death during 10 years of follow-up after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG); to evaluate whether age interacts with the influence of various predictors on outcome; and to compare the mortality during 10 years after CABG with the mortality in an age- and sex-matched control population.

Prospective, observational study.

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and Scandinavian Heart Centre in Göteborg, Sweden.

All patients from western Sweden who underwent CABG between 1 June 1988 and 1 June 1991 without simultaneous valve surgery and with no previous CABG.

All-cause mortality during 10 years but more than 30 days after CABG.

In all, 2000 patients participated in the survey. The following factors appeared as independent predictors of death: preoperative factors-age, history of congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular disease, history of intermittent claudication, current smoking, degree of left ventricular impairment, valvular disease and duration of angina pectoris; peroperative factors-ventilator time and neurological complications; postoperative factors-arrhythmia, requirement of digitalis and requirement of antidiabetics. There was an interaction between age and history of cerebrovascular disease with a stronger impact on outcome in younger patients. The late (>30 days after CABG) 10-year mortality in the study cohort was 29.6% compared with 25.9% in the control population (P=0.02).

Among patients who underwent CABG, 13 independent predictors for mortality were found, mainly among preoperative factors but also among peroperative factors, postoperative complications and medication requirement after CABG.