WEDNESDAY, Nov. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Minority children waiting for a heart transplant have a higher death rate than white youngsters, say researchers who analyzed eight years of data from the United Network of Organ Sharing.
During that period, ending in 2006, there were 3,299 children waiting for a heart transplant. Of those, 58 percent were white, 20 percent were black, 16 percent were Hispanic, 3 percent were Asian, and 3 percent were listed as other.
After they compensated for age, listing and health status, the researchers found that, compared to white children:
Black children had a 60 percent greater risk of dying.Hispanic children were 50 percent more likely to die.Asians and others had a 100 percent to 130 percent higher death rate.
Socioeconomic factors explained only some of this increased risk among minority children, accounting for a third of the increased risk in blacks and 20 percent of the increased risk in Hispanics, the researchers said. After they further adjusted the data for health insurance and household income, the risk of death remained higher for all non-whites -- 40 percent higher for blacks and Hispanics and more than 100 percent higher for Asians and others. The researchers also found that children covered by Medicaid were 20 percent more likely to die while waiting for a transplant.
