Impact of Preoperative Cardiac Screening Modality on Cardiovascular Outcomes After Liver Transplantation.

introductionCardiovascular (CV) disease is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation (LT). Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has increasingly replaced stress testing (ST) for CV risk assessment in LT candidates with intermediate-to-high CV risk, although comparative evidence remains limited. The primary endpoint was the incidence of post-LT major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) by CV screening modality; the secondary endpoint was to identify predictors of MACE.

methodsThis single-center retrospective study included 506 patients who underwent LT between 2018 and 2023. According to CV screening modality, patients were stratified into three groups: no test (low CV risk), ST, or CCTA.

resultsAmong 506 LT recipients, 358 (70.8%) presented low CV risk, 57 (11.3%) underwent ST, and 91 (18.0%) CCTA. Compared with ST, CCTA led to higher rates of coronary angiography (14% vs. 31.9%, p = 0.011) and revascularization (0% vs. 15.4%, p < 0.0001). After a median follow-up of 2.5 years [IQR 1.5-3.9], MACE occurred more frequently in CCTA (18.4%) and ST (14%) groups than in low-risk group (9%) (p = 0.041), while no significant difference was observed between CCTA and ST groups (14% vs. 18.4%, p = 0.501). In univariate and multivariate Cox-regression analysis, only age and family history of coronary artery disease were independent predictors of MACE.

conclusionsCCTA and ST resulted in comparable post-LT CV outcomes. Although CCTA was associated with a higher number of pre-LT coronary interventions, it was not associated with a lower incidence of MACE, underscoring the need to refine CV risk stratification protocols in LT candidates. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Currently, there are no international guidelines for cardiovascular screening procedures in LT candidates, leading to variability in practice across different centers and countries. Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has emerged as a more accurate method than stress testing (ST) in detecting coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with end-stage liver disease. In the present study, all pre-transplant coronary revascularizations were performed in patients screened with CCTA, while none occurred in the ST group. Despite this, the incidence of post-LT major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) was similar between groups. In our cohort, revascularizations prompted by CCTA did not significantly reduce post-LT MACE rate. Age and family history of CAD were the only independent predictors of MACE. Our results underscore the need to refine cardiovascular risk stratification protocols for LT candidates.