More Donor Hearts Being Rejected Before Surgery
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ktsimage/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Bad news for the thousands of Americans waiting to receive a donor heart: the number of transplanted tickers is on the decline.
Researchers at Stanford University found that the percentage of donor hearts in good enough shape for transplant decreased strikingly from 1995, when it was 44 percent, to just 29 percent in 2006, according to data published in the American Journal of Transplantation.
Chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure have significantly increased during that time, damaging potential donors.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and over half of people diagnosed with heart failure die within five years.
There are no standard guidelines for donor heart evaluations and acceptance.
Researchers suggest that strict federal oversight may be creating fear among transplant surgeons, that they could be criticized for transplanting questionable hearts.
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