Prevalence, Factors Associated With, and Prognostic Effects of Preoperative Anemia on Short- and Long-Term Mortality in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Abstract

Preoperative anemia is prevalent in >50% of patients undergoing TAVI. Various baseline factors were related to anemia, which in turn was associated with 1-year mortality. Patients with anemia received more transfusions but mostly for indications unrelated to overt bleeding, whereas transfusion was independently associated with both early and 1-year mortality. These findings indicate that optimization of baseline factors related to preoperative anemia, in addition to more strict criteria of the use of blood products, may improve outcome after TAVI.