Impact of Socioeconomic Status on Outcomes After Ventricular Assist Device Implantation Using the Area Deprivation Index

Background: This study evaluates the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) as a novel prognostic metric of socioeconomic status for patients with a left ventricular assist device.

Methods and results: A retrospective analysis of patients with a left ventricular assist device at a high-volume institution from 2007 to 2018 was conducted. Socioeconomic status was determined using the ADI, a multifactorial neighborhood-based metric where higher ADI denotes worse socioeconomic status. Patients were stratified into 4 ADI cohorts. Long-term survival was compared with multivariate analysis. Of the 380 patients stratified by ADI, 35 were in the 10th percentile or lower, 218 were in the 11th-50th percentile, 104 were in the 51st-89th percentile, and 23 were in the 90th percentile or higher. Baseline characteristics were comparable. On multivariate analysis, being male (hazard ratio [HR], 0.14; P = .01), bridge-to-transplant (HR, 0.14; P = .03), and not requiring biventricular support (HR, 0.02; P < .01) were protective, whereas chronic kidney disease (HR, 9.07; P < .01) and an elevated total bilirubin (HR, 3.56; P = .02) were harmful. The ADI as a continuous variable did not affect survival; however, categorically, a higher ADI was protective (ADI 90-100: HR, 0.07; P = .04).

Conclusions: Socioeconomically disadvantaged patients had noninferior outcomes given appropriate pre-implant optimization and workup.