Temporal trends in transcatheter aortic valve replacement use and outcomes by race, ethnicity, and sex

OBJECTIVES: To identify trends in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) use and outcomes by race (non‐Hispanic White, Black), ethnicity (Hispanic), and sex over time. BACKGROUND: Despite rapid growth in TAVR use over time, our understanding of its use and outcomes among males and females of underrepresented racial/ethnic groups remains limited. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of hospitalizations from 2013 to 2017 from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database was performed. RESULTS: White patients comprised 65% (n = 2.16 × 10(7)) of all hospitalizations, yet they comprised 83% (n = 176,887) of the admissions for aortic stenosis (p < 0.0001). Among 91,693 hospitalizations for aortic valve replacement, 64,069 were surgical (34.0% female, 7.0% Hispanic, and 5.9% Black) and 27,624 were transcatheter (46.6% female, 4.5% Hispanic, and 4.4% Black). Growth in TAVR volumes was the slowest among minorities and females. Hispanic males, Hispanic females, and White females had the highest in‐hospital mortality (2.7%–3.3%; compared to White males, adjusted odds ratio: Hispanic males 1.9 [1.2–3.0], Hispanic females 1.9 [1.2–3.1], and White females 1.4 [1.2–1.7]). Despite less baseline vascular disease, females of all races/ethnicities had more vascular complications than men (female 5% vs. male 3.5%, p ≤ 0.001). Further adjustment for vascular complications only partially attenuated mortality differences. Black and Hispanic patients had a longer mean length of hospital stay than White patients, which was most pronounced among females. Pacemaker requirements were consistently low among all groups. CONCLUSION: Differences in TAVR growth and outcomes by race, ethnicity, and sex over time highlight areas for focused efforts to close gaps in minimally invasive structural heart disease care.