ALB and Stroke: Decreased albumin may be related to malnutrition, frailty, and a proinflammatory state.39, 40 Anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukocytosis may be related to poor hemocompatibility and/or an inflammatory state.41, 42 Neurologic dysfunction including stroke and major infection are other predictors in this model that have also previously been associated with mortality in LVAD patients.35, 43, 44 In general, the characteristics in our final model are largely patient-specific rather than being related to the LVAD itself.