Reese, Peter PBloom, Roy DFeldman, Harold IRosenbaum, PaulWang, WeiSaynisch, Philip ATarsi, N. MMukherjee, N.Garg, Amit XMussell, Adam SShults, JustineEven-Shoshan, OritTownsend, Raymond RSilber, Jeffrey H2023-05-232023-05-232014-07-092018-07-17https://repository.upenn.edu/handle/20.500.14332/48016Over the past two decades, live kidney donation by older individuals (≥55 years) has become more common. Given the strong associations of older age with cardiovascular disease (CVD), nephrectomy could make older donors vulnerable to death and cardiovascular events. We performed a cohort study among older live kidney donors who were matched to healthy older individuals in the Health and Retirement Study. The primary outcome was mortality ascertained through national death registries. Secondary outcomes ascertained among pairs with Medicare coverage included death or CVD ascertained through Medicare claims data. During the period from 1996 to 2006, there were 5717 older donors in the United States. We matched 3368 donors 1:1 to older healthy nondonors. Among donors and matched pairs, the mean age was 59 years; 41% were male and 7% were black race. In median follow-up of 7.8 years, mortality was not different between donors and matched pairs (p = 0.21). Among donors with Medicare, the combined outcome of death/CVD (p = 0.70) was also not different between donors and nondonors. In summary, carefully selected older kidney donors do not face a higher risk of death or CVD. These findings should be provided to older individuals considering live kidney donation.This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: [Reese, P.P. et al. (2014). Mortality and Cardiovascular Disease among Older Live Kidney Donors. American Journal of Transplantation 14, no. 8: pp. 1853-1861], which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajt.12822">http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajt.12822. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Age FactorsAgedCardiovascular DiseasesFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansKidney TransplantationLiving DonorsLongitudinal StudiesMaleMedicareMiddle AgedNephrectomyQuality of LifeRenal InsufficiencyTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeUnited Statesethics and public policyhealth services and outcomes researchkidney transplantationkidney nephrologyliving donororgan procurementBusinessCardiovascular DiseasesCardiovascular SystemCirculatory and Respiratory PhysiologyGeriatricsNephrologyStatistics and ProbabilitySurgeryReport