title: Long-term follow-up of arrhythmia characteristics and clinical outcomes in heart transplant patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Arrhythmias occur frequently after heart transplantation (HT), but knowledge of their impact on long-term outcomes is limited. This study sought to investigate the characteristics of the arrhythmias among biatrial orthotopic HT patients during long-term follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study included 217 patients who received biatrial orthotopic HT. Patients were classified into 5 groups according to the arrhythmia episodes that occurred >1 month after HT: no arrhythmias (group 1; n = 149); atrial tachyarrhythmias only (group 2; n = 34); ventricular tachyarrhythmias only (group 3; n = 9); bradyarrhythmias only (group 4; n = 7); or double/triple arrhythmias (group 5; n = 18). We analyzed their long-term outcomes respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During 83 ± 51 months of follow-up, all-cause mortality rates were higher in groups 3 (88.9%) and 5 (72.2%) compared with the other groups (groups 1, 2, and 4: 21.5%, 41.2%, and 57.1%, respectively; P < .001). Cardiovascular mortality rates were higher in groups 4 (42.9%) and 5 (61.1%) compared with the other groups (groups 1, 2, and 3: 8.1%, 20.6%, and 0% respectively; P < .001). Noncardiovascular mortality rate was greater in group 3 (88.9%) compared with the other groups (groups 1, 2, 4, and 5: 13.4%, 20.6%, 14.3%, and 11.1%, respectively; P < .001). Sudden death rates were higher in groups 4 (42.9%) and 5 (44.4%) compared with the other groups (groups 1, 2, and 3: 7.4%, 8.8%, and 0%, respectively; P < .001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with posttransplantation arrhythmias experienced significantly worse clinical outcomes.
authors: Division of Cardiology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors: H-Y
authors: HY
authors: Chang
authors: L-W
authors: LW
authors: Lo
authors: A-N
authors: AN
authors: Feng
authors: M-C
authors: MC
authors: Chiang
authors: W-H
authors: WH
authors: Yin
authors: M-S
authors: MS
authors: Young
authors: C-Y
authors: CY
authors: Chang
authors: Y-C
authors: YC
authors: Chuang
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Hartono
authors: S-A
authors: SA
authors: Chen
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Wei
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000145:classification / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D001706:Biopsy; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D016572:Cyclosporine; D011239:Prednisolone; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D016559:Tacrolimus