Inferior outcomes in young adults undergoing liver transplantation – a UK and Ireland cohort study

Summary Graft loss incidence is reported to be inversely related to recipient age. We used a national cohort of liver transplant (LT) recipients from the United Kingdom and Ireland to compare the age‐dependent risk of graft failure in different post‐transplantation time‐periods (‘epochs’). A cohort of first‐time LT recipients (1995–2016) were identified (11 006). Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) comparing graft loss between age‐groups (18–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59 and 60–76 years) and graft loss in different post‐transplant epochs: 0–90 days, 90 days–2 years and 2–10 years. The risk of graft failure was highest in those transplanted between age 18 and 29 (adjusted HR 1.25, 95% CI: 1.00–1.57, P = 0.04) and in those aged 30–39 (adjusted HR 1.31, 95% CI: 1.11–1.55, P = 0.02). Graft failure in those under the age of 40 was similar in the first 90 days but worse 2–10 years’ post‐LT (18–29 years HR 1.36, 95% CI: 0.96–1.93, P