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Donor substance abuse and heart transplantation outcomes

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Abstract

Heart failure continues to account for millions of cases and deaths worldwide. Heart transplant is the gold standard for treatment of advanced heart failure. Unfortunately, the supply of donor hearts continues to be limited with the increase in demand for heart transplantation. In this review, we aim to explore the safety and efficacy of using hearts from donors with history of substance use. Despite the theoretical effect of cocaine and alcohol on the cardiovascular system, several studies demonstrate no difference in outcomes (overall survival, graft rejection, graft vasculopathy) when using hearts from patients with history of cocaine and alcohol use. The opioid epidemic has expanded the potential donor pool where the current studies have not shown any adverse outcomes when considering donors with history of opioid use. The currently available evidence would support the use of donor hearts from patients with history of alcohol, cocaine, opioids, and marijuana use. Further studies are needed to evaluate the safety of using donor hearts from patients with history of nicotine use.

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This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University School of Medicine, Krannert Institute of Cardiology, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Onyedika Ilonze, Roopa A. Rao, Kashif Saleem & Maya E. Guglin

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, IN, Indinapolis, USA

    Mohammad Sabra

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  1. Mohammad Sabra
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  2. Onyedika Ilonze
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Correspondence to Mohammad Sabra.

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Sabra, M., Ilonze, O., Rao, R.A. et al. Donor substance abuse and heart transplantation outcomes. Heart Fail Rev 28, 207–215 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-022-10241-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10741-022-10241-x

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