# The Impact of Race on Quality of Life of the Aged after Heart Transplant or Destination Therapy Mechanical Support

> **NIH NIH R36** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $70,263

## Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine whether older advanced heart failure (HF) patients
who undergo destination therapy mechanical circulatory support (DT MCS), as compared to
patients who undergo heart transplantation (HT), experience non-inferior change in overall
health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and HRQOL domains (physical, mental, and social) by
race from baseline to 1 year post-operatively. Advanced HF patients, 60-80 years of age, are an
appropriate target group for this proposed study because they are receiving HTs and implant of
MCS devices more frequently, and despite a greater risk for poor clinical outcomes, they have
acceptable rates of survival. While studies have examined overall survival, few have considered
HRQOL of older minority patients who undergo HT or DT MCS. MY proposed study may
contribute to better patient-centered care of older minority advanced HF patients, by informing
decision making and guiding strategies to enhance post-operative HRQOL. I will leverage the
data resources of Sustaining Quality of Life of the Aged: Heart Transplant or Mechanical
Support? (SUSTAIN-IT) (National Institute on Aging # R01AG047416, 7/15/15 – 3/31/21).
SUSTAIN-IT is a multi-site, observational, prospective, longitudinal, comparative effectiveness
study. I will use a theoretical framework which models the influence of disease, treatment,
adverse events, and symptoms on HRQOL to guide this proposed study. The primary aim is to
determine whether older advanced HF patients who undergo DT MCS, as compared to patients
who undergo HT (with or without MCS) experience non-inferior change in overall HRQOL
(primary endpoint, using the heart failure-specific Kansas City Cardiomyopathy-12 questionnaire
summary score), and HRQOL domains by race (white versus all minorities) from baseline to 1
year post-operatively. The secondary Aim is to determine whether race is a risk factor related to
overall HRQOL (using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy-12 heart-failure specific questionnaire
summary score as the dependent variable), for patients who undergo DT MCS and HT at 1 year
post-operatively.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10476445
- **Project number:** 5R36AG073531-02
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Jerian Dixon-Evans
- **Activity code:** R36 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $70,263
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10476445

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10476445, The Impact of Race on Quality of Life of the Aged after Heart Transplant or Destination Therapy Mechanical Support (5R36AG073531-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10476445. Licensed CC0.

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