Racial disparities in cardiac transplantation: Chronological perspective and outcomes

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate annual heart transplant volumes and 3-year post-transplant outcomes since establishment of United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) database stratified by race. METHODS: The UNOS thoracic transplant database was evaluated for adult patients since 1987. The available database was then stratified by Race: Black, White and Other and era of transplant: group 1(1987–1991), group 2(1992–1996), group 3(1997–2001), group 4(2002–2006), group 5(2007–2011), group 6(2012–2016) and group 7(2017 and later). Demographic and clinical factors were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 105,266 adults have been listed since 1987 and 67,824 have been transplanted. Of the transplanted patients 11,235 were Black, 48,786 White and 6803 were of Other race. The proportion of Black patients listed increased from 7% in 1987 to 13.4% in 1999 and 25% in 2019 and those transplanted increased from 5% in 1987 to 13.4% in 2001 and 26% in 2019. The survival of Black patients gradually improved. CONCLUSION: Historically, fewer Black patients received cardiac transplantation however, their access gradually improved over the years and account for over 25% of cardiac transplantations performed in recent years. The historically poor survival of Black patients has recently improved and became comparable to the rest.