Aging Effect on the Clinical Outcome of Patients undergoing Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery

Background: Old age affects the clinical outcome of patients with coronary artery disease. Patients in their 70’s have a 10 fold increased rate of acute myocardial infarction compared to younger ages. On the other hand, older patients need more coronary interventions. The aim of the present study was to study the effect of age on the clinical outcome following CABG surgery.

Methods: A retrospective study following 239 patients that underwent CABG surgery in the Baruch Padeh Medical Center in the last 4 years. There were 34 women and 205 men, aged 61.85±9.57 years. Age was the independent variable and the dependent variables included the post-operative appearance of atrial fibrillation, mortality, re-admission rate, hospitalization time and the time that patients had to be connected to the cardio-pulmonary bypass machine (CPBM). We used logistic regression analysis and general linear model to study the effects of age on all the dependent variables.

Results: Older patients had a higher rate of developing atrial fibrillation after the operation (OR=1.054; p=0.003), and longer hospitalizations (β=0.064; p=0.001). Old age did not affect mortality rate and the cardio-pulmonary bypass machine time. It also had no effect on re-admission rate.

Discussion: Old age affect the clinical outcome post CABG. Older patients had longer hospitalizations
and had a higher rate of atrial fibrillation following CABG.