Impact of Recipient Age at Liver Transplant on Long-term Outcomes

The age of a liver transplant (LT) candidate is one of many variables used in the transplant selection process. Most research about the age at transplant has used prespecified age ranges or categories in assessing associations with transplant outcomes. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the age at transplant and survival. This study aimed to examine associations of age at transplant as a continuous variable, in conjunction with other patient and disease-related factors, with patient and graft survival after LT.

We used the Standard Transplant Analysis and Research data to identify LT recipients between January 2002 and June 2018. Cox regression models with a restricted cubic spline term for age examined associations with graft and patient survival after LT. We assessed the interactions of age with recipients' sex, race/ethnicity, region, indication for transplant, body mass index, model for end-stage liver disease score, diabetes, functional status at transplant, and donor risk index.

Age at the time of LT showed a nonlinear association with both graft and patient survival. Each demographic, clinical, transplant-related, and donor-related factor influenced these relationships differently.

Our results suggest that some older LT candidates may be better than some younger candidates and that clinicians should not exclusively use age to determine who receives LT.