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