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Stem-cell-based therapies are being evaluated as potentially improving patient outcomes. Benefits of stem cell therapy have not been uniformly shown. To evaluate the role of patient age in the efficacy of stem cell therapy in ischemic cardiomyopathy, investigators retrospectively analyzed the effect of age (60 or older vs. younger than 60) in 49 patients treated at a single center. The average age at transplantation was 52 in the younger group and 69 in the older group; mean time from myocardial infarction to stem cell therapy was 6 years and 15 years, respectively. Most patients were male (90%). The older group had a statistical trend toward reduced functional capacity at baseline.
The 6-minute walk test (the primary endpoint) increased sig…