Black patients on the heart transplant waitlist are less likely to have donor heart offers accepted compared to white patients, according to a new study analyzing organ transplant data.
Researchers examined records from the United Network for Organ Sharing database covering October 2018 to March 2023. They found significant disparities in donor heart offer acceptance rates based on both race and gender.
White women had the highest rate of first donor heart offer acceptance at 17.5%, followed by Black women at 14.0%, white men at 10.3%, and Black men at 7.9%. This trend persisted through subsequent offers. “These findings highlight disparities in care for this population,” the study authors noted.
After adjusting for other factors, the odds of first donor heart offer acceptance were 24% lower for Black candidates compared to white candidates. This disparity remained significant through the 16th offer.
Women initially had 53% higher odds of first offer acceptance compared to men, though this advantage disappeared after the 6th offer. For offers 10 through 31, women’s odds of acceptance became lower than men’s.
The median number of offers until acceptance was lowest for white women at 5, compared to 7 for Black women, 9 for white men, and 11 for Black men.
While the study could not determine causes, the authors suggested transplant center practices and biases may contribute to inequities. They called for further research to identify key factors driving these racial and gender disparities in heart transplant allocation.
See “Donor Heart Acceptance by Race and Gender on Transplant Waitlist” (March 28, 2024)
