Cardiology grapples with scarcity of available donor hearts for transplantation
Heart ailments continue to pose a significant health concern in Germany, with heart weakness being a prominent issue. As per the "German Heart Report - Update 2024", around 4 million individuals in Germany grapple with heart weakness, according to data presented by the German Heart Foundation in collaboration with cardiology, cardiac surgery, pediatric cardiology, and cardiovascular rehabilitation societies. This report serves as an annual assessment of cardiovascular health in Germany, as stated by Thomas Voigtländer, a board member of the German Heart Foundation.
Heart weakness, or heart failure, is the leading cause of hospital admissions due to heart problems, surpassing even coronary heart diseases and heart rhythm disorders, as Voigtländer elaborated. Heart failures resulted in 37,570 deaths in Germany in 2022. Lack of exercise, obesity, age, genetics, and sudden cardiac death are mostly attributed to other health issues like high blood pressure or coronary heart disease, where blood flow to the heart muscle is compromised. Regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight are primary factors contributing to heart weakness.
Additional risk factors include age and genetic predisposition. Men are disproportionately affected. The report indicates that about half of all patients with heart weakness succumb within six years of diagnosis. Whenever possible, transplantation is an option; however, the scarcity of donor organs in Germany limits this possibility.
Urgent List Within a Few Days
Franziska Bleis, a healthy 37-year-old, was not too long ago waiting for a donor heart. She contracted a common cold in 2019, then struggled with severe heart muscle inflammation, she shared during the report presentation. Her condition worsened rapidly, leading to her hospitalization and transition into a heart patient. She came close to death multiple times and was resuscitated. It was determined that a donor heart was necessary, and she was placed on an urgent list. Since then, she has received a donor organ.
According to the report, 678 individuals aged 16 and older were on the waiting list for a donor heart in 2022, alongside 21 children (up to 15 years old) waiting for a suitable organ. Data reveals that 42 children and 316 adults were transplanted that year, as reported by Eurotransplant and the German Foundation for Organ Transplantation. German hospitals sourced 98 donor organs abroad in 2022, as the country is the sole Eurotransplant member without an opt-out system for organ donation.
In Germany, donated organs are obtained posthumously if the individual has previously expressed consent, such as with an organ donor card, or if the family grants permission. Due to the lack of donor organs, the introduction of an opt-out system, under which all individuals would be considered donors unless they explicitly opt out, is frequently debated.
Heart failures, resulting in 37,570 deaths in Germany in 2022, are primarily associated with heart attacks. Despite receiving a donor heart, Franziska Bleis, a heart patient, was previously at risk due to developing severe heart muscle inflammation after contracting a common cold.
