ArticleBMC cardiovascular disorders2026
Long-term changes in quality of life with LVAD support and after heart transplantation in advanced heart failure.
Article in BMC cardiovascular disorders, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- LVAD Bridge Duration, Post-transplant Employment, and Return to Work: A National Registry Analysis of Heart Transplant Recipients.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Latent profile analysis of quality of life in patients undergoing on-pump cardiac surgery and its perioperative risk factors.BMC cardiovascular disorders · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundImproving quality of life (QOL) is a major therapeutic goal for patients with advanced heart failure undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy or heart transplantation. In Japan, prolonged LVAD support due to donor shortage makes long-term QOL outcomes uncertain.
objectiveTo evaluate longitudinal changes in QOL before and after LVAD implantation and heart transplantation, and to examine associations with physical function.
methodsFrom 2013 to 2025, 95 patients underwent LVAD implantation at our institution, of whom 23 subsequently received heart transplantation. After excluding 4 patients with incomplete data, 19 were included in the final analysis. QOL was assessed using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) at baseline, during LVAD support, and after transplantation. Physical function was evaluated by grip strength, leg strength, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and peak oxygen uptake. Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS) scores were analyzed.
resultsBaseline QOL was impaired in the physical domain but relatively preserved in the mental domain (PCS 22.9 ± 10.4; MCS 49.1 ± 15.0). During LVAD support (mean 64.1 ± 14.1 months), PCS improved significantly (40.1 ± 7.1, p = 0.008), whereas MCS remained stable (52.4 ± 6.3, p > 0.99). After transplantation (mean 33.6 ± 30.4 months), PCS further improved (46.3 ± 7.9, p = 0.006), while MCS continued to remain stable (53.3 ± 5.8, p = 0.466). Post-transplant PCS showed positive but non-significant correlations with physical function measures.
conclusionBTT-LVAD and subsequent heart transplantation markedly improve physical QOL in patients with advanced heart failure, while mental QOL, which is relatively preserved at baseline, remains stable throughout long-term follow-up. These findings suggest that, despite stable overall mental well-being, device- and transplant-specific psychological burdens may persist and should be addressed as part of comprehensive long-term care.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.