Corticosteroid Weaning in Stable Heart Transplant Patients: Guidance by Serum Cortisol Level

Table 1

Baseline demographics.

Demographics	Maintenance group ()	Weaning group ()	value
Male, (%)	5 (83%)	21 (84%)	0.97
Female, (%)	1 (16.7%)	4 (16%)	0.97
Mean age at transplant	54.5 ± 11.3 years (37–69)	55 ± 10 years (38–69)	0.92
Mean baseline prednisone dose	5.8 ± 2.5 mg (2.5–10)	4.6 ± 1.5 mg (2.5–10)	0.13
Baseline cortisol level (µg/dL)	4.8 ± 2.2 (0.5–6.5)	13.2 ± 3.9 (8.1–22.4)	<0.0001
Baseline creatinine (mg/dL)	1.4 ± 0.2 (1.2–1.8)	1.4 ± 0.4 (0.8–2.2)	0.9
Time after transplant to study entry	2.2 ± 2.0 years (0.3–5.5)	1.9 ± 1.5 years (0.3–4.9)	0.68
Ischemic cardiomyopathy (%)	3 (50%)	13 (52%)	0.93
African American (%)	2 (33%)	7 (28%)	0.99
Pretransplant diabetes mellitus (%)	2 (33%)	3 (12%)	0.24
History of smoking (%)	3 (50%)	16 (64%)	0.78
Statin use (after transplant)	6 (100%)	25 (100%)	NS