Division of Transplantation Assistant Professor Rhiannon, Reed MPH, DrPH and Mark H. Deierhoi Endowed Professor in Surgery and Director of the Division of Transplantation Jayme Locke M.D., MPH, were published in Lippincott Research Beta (LWW Journals).

Reed and Locke provided commentary on an article titled, “Cardiac Mortality Following Kidney Transplantation: Progress Made But Still Room for Improvement.” The objective of research article was to highlight the reduction in risk of cardiac mortality in transplant patients, but caution providers rates remain higher than their age and sex-matched counterparts despite advances in prevention and treatment.  

Ultimately, the study discovered how gender disparities play a role in cardiac mortality following kidney transplants, using Australian and New Zealand registry data. An important finding of this study was the persistence of a greater risk of cardiac mortality among female transplant recipients in all age groups.

Reed and Locke suggest that replicating this study in the future and utilizing other data sources (eg, the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network and National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data in the United States and the European Renal Association–European Dialysis and Transplant Association Registry compared to the data from the European Heart Network) could be of great value to the field, to understand whether these disparate rates are universal. 

Reed and Locke also postulate that the study findings support the argument for widespread adoption of management guidelines (such as the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes group), tailoring immunosuppression regimens, and considering inclusion of these individuals in trials of new treatment options. Ultimately, they conclude that the findings represent important opportunities for improvements in posttransplant care of all patients but particularly among women, to reduce persistent gender disparities in transplant outcomes. 

“Our entire team of transplant surgeons is always looking for ways to identify gender disparities within organ transplantation,” said Reed. “This study shed light on possible gender disparities within post-transplant care, and we look forward to finding ways to improve access to cardiac care for specifically our female transplant recipients.”