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Long-term quality of life of liver transplant recipients beyond 60 years of age

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Abstract

Due to ameliorated surgery as well as better immunosuppression, the recipient age after liver transplantation has been extended over the past years. This study aimed to investigate the health related quality of life after liver transplantation in recipients beyond 60 years of age. The SF-36 was used to evaluate the recipients’ health-related quality of life as standardized tool. It comprises 36 items that are attributed to 8 subscales attributed to 2 components: the physical component score and the mental component score. Differences in the health-related quality of life between the included aged recipients and age-matched general population as well as among female and male recipients. Aged recipients showed significantly lower scores in physical functioning (29 vs. 76, p = 0.001), role physical (42 vs. 73, p = 0.003), bodily pain (34 vs. 71, p = 0.003), general health (28 vs. 59, p = 0.001), vitality (25 vs. 61, p = 0.001), social functioning (36 vs. 87, p = 0.001), role emotional (46 vs. 89, p = 0.001) as well as the physical component score (28 vs. 76, p = 0.001). Aged female recipients showed lower results as compared to males in social functioning, physical functioning, role physical, and social functioning (p = 0.03 respectively) but comparable results in the remaining. Quality of life seems to be an issue among aged recipients and should be assessed on a regular basis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division for General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    G. Werkgartner & H. J. Mischinger

  2. Division for Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 29, 8036, Graz, Austria

    D. Wagner, R. Grgic & D. Kniepeiss

  3. Office of the Vice Rector for Studies and Teaching, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    S. Manhal

  4. Division for Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    A. Fahrleitner-Pammer & M. Wagner

  5. Division for Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria

    R. E. Roller

Authors
  1. G. Werkgartner
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  2. D. Wagner
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  3. S. Manhal
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  4. A. Fahrleitner-Pammer
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  5. H. J. Mischinger
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  6. M. Wagner
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  7. R. Grgic
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  8. R. E. Roller
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  9. D. Kniepeiss
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Wagner.

Additional information

G. Werkgartner and D. Wagner contributed equally to the presented study.

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Werkgartner, G., Wagner, D., Manhal, S. et al. Long-term quality of life of liver transplant recipients beyond 60 years of age. AGE 35, 2485–2492 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-013-9527-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11357-013-9527-x

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