Heart-test age gap linked to poorer survival after valve surgery
Patients whose estimated age exceeded their actual age by more than five years had higher 30-day death odds than other patients (odds ratio 1.69).
Our read
Biomarkers- Studied:
- Cohort study of 5,503 patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement
- What changed:
- Long-term death risk was higher when heart-test age exceeded actual age by >5 years (hazard ratio 1.25)
- The catch:
- Diabetes, kidney failure, and smoking were more common in the higher-gap group, potentially affecting survival
Editor of record: Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
The 5,503 patients undergoing surgical replacement of the heart’s aortic valve had a median age of 73.2 years in this observational study. An artificial intelligence system estimated their age from electrocardiograms, recordings of the heart’s electrical activity, taken within 30 days before surgery. The researchers subtracted actual age from estimated age to calculate an age gap.
In 16.7% of patients, the estimate exceeded actual age by more than five years. This group had higher odds of death within 30 days than the other patients. An elevated age gap was also independently linked to worse long-term survival. Patients in the higher-gap group were more likely to receive blood transfusions and had longer stays in intensive care and in hospital.
Why it matters
The authors interpret the age gap as a sign of advanced physiological aging, suggesting a possible role for heart recordings in assessing surgical risk beyond calendar age.
Caveats
The higher-gap group also had more diabetes, kidney failure and current smoking; differences in health could have contributed to the survival link. The results concern patients undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement.
The paper
The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Nov 2026
Comments
Be the first to comment.