Livers from older people 'not linked to transplant failure'

Posted on 2008-07-21 20:00:00 in Artificial & Replacement Organs & Tissues | Surgery |

Fears linking donated livers from those aged over 60 with failure in hepatitis C patients have been discredited by a new study.

Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis carried out research into transplants of older donor's livers and have suggested the practice is safe.

According to Archives of Surgery, researchers examined the survival rates of people who had been given new livers and, for short-term survivors, found no difference between those who had received organs from older people and those from newer.

Of the 489 adults studied over a nine-year period, 38.2 per cent were hepatitis C sufferers. Older people's livers were given to 72 patients - of which 24 had hepatitis C.

"However, similar to other long-term transplant centers, we observed a negative effect from recurrent hepatitis C virus with a trend toward worsened long-term survival between years five and ten," the authors noted.

According to the American Liver Foundation, there are 30 million Americans affected by liver-related diseases.ADNFCR-1506-ID-18695906-ADNFCR


Health Headlines

Tests Pinpoint Dementia Onset
Language and memory tests can reliably predict when a healthy elderly person is likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia
Investigating A Causal Link Between Gut Bacteria and Breast Cancer
Rush University Medical Center (USA) embarks on a research study to ascertain how microbial imbalances may impact diseases such as breast cancer.
Walnuts Improve Blood Markers of Diabetes
Yale University researchers report improved function of the blood vessel lining and reduced cholesterol levels in diabetics who consume walnuts daily.
Exercise Slashes Odds of Early Death from Heart Disease
Routine moderate exercise can reduce the risk of premature death in people with heart problems by up to 60%.
Common Sweetener Raises Blood Pressure
Added as a sweetener to many processed foods and beverages, fructose (also known as high fructose corn syrup), may increase blood pressure.
Skip the Salt and Diet Soda to Save Your Kidneys
Diets high in sodium and artificially sweetened soda linked to kidney function decline.
Antioxidants May Combat Influenza Virus
Antioxidant compounds retard the ability of influenza virus to damage a key protein in lungs
Nerve Regeneration Possible in Spinal Cord Injury
Studying an animal model of spinal cord injury, UCSD researchers report successful regeneration of nerve cells even when treatment is delayed.
26 Million Americans Have Diabetes
Gallup Survey finds that 11.3% of American adults have diabetes, and the trend upwards is projected to continue unless aggressive interventions are implemented.
The American Sleep Crisis
More than 11% of American adults surveyed say they failed to enjoy a day in the previous month where they got enough sleep.
Looking for an Anti-aging Doctor?

upcoming Events

U.S. Events
congresses
Las Vegas
fellowships
fellowships
symposium
workshops
  • Advanced Hormone Symposium
    Chicago, IL | Oct. 8-10, 2010

VIDEO: Bio-Identical Hormone
          Replacement

Dr. Sangeeta Pati, one of the world’s foremost educators and practicing physicians in the field of HRT shared “The Nuts and Bolts of Hormone Restoration” via webinar. View the Webinar.

International Events
See all events »