Effect of body mass index <20 kg/m(2) on events in patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

The Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 has defined body mass index (BMI) <20 as indicative of frailty, which may be one of the co-morbidities not captured by traditional risk factors after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This study aimed to assess the impact of low BMI on clinical outcomes after TAVR. A total of 777 consecutive patients scheduled for TAVR were classified into 3 groups as BMI <20 (n = 56), 20 to 24.9 (n = 322), and ≥25 (n = 399). Procedural complications and clinical outcomes were compared among the 3 groups. They were also analyzed according to propensity-matching model A (BMI <20 [n = 50] vs ≥20 [n = 50]), model B (BMI <20 [n = 50] vs 20 to 24.9 [n = 50]), and model C (BMI <20 [n = 47] vs ≥25 [n = 47]). The differences in baseline characteristics among the 3 groups were adequately adjusted in 3 matched models. Valve Academic Research Consortium-2-defined end points and other complications were similar among the 3 groups in each model. Kaplan-Meier curves indicated no significant differences in cumulative 30-day survival (BMI <20 [91.0%] vs 20 to 24.9 [86.3%], p = 0.33; BMI <20 [91.0%] vs ≥25 [91.4%], p = 0.91, respectively) and 1-year survival (BMI <20 [74.3%] vs 20 to 24.9 [71.8%], p = 0.71; BMI <20 [74.3%] vs ≥25 [77.0%], p = 0.71; respectively). These survival rates were also similar in each of the 3 matched models. In conclusion, BMI <20 was not associated with increased early or midterm mortality. BMI <20 alone may not constitute an additional co-morbidity factor in patients who underwent TAVR.