The prevalence of frailty in hospitalized heart failure patients and in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting

Abstract

Background: People who are frail are more likely to have bigger complications even after a minor stressor. It is also known that frailty and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) have a strong interaction. The prevalence of frailty in people with heart failure (HF), a well-known CVD, is still unknown. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common CVD. CAD often requires surgeries such as percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting. However, the prevalence of frailty in older people with these kinds of operations is unclear.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of frailty in hospitalized heart failure patients and in patients undergoing PCI or CABG.

Participants: 132 people, older than the age of 65, who had been admitted to the hospital for percutaneous coronary intervention, heart failure or coronary artery bypass grafting, were included.

Results: The HF group had an average score of 8.73 on the frailty assessment scale and was therefore situated in the category “mild frailty”, which was significantly higher (p<0.0001) than all other groups. The CABG group scored 4.93, the PCI group scored 3.41 and the Coro group had an average score of 4.20. These groups were situated in the category “no frailty”.

Conclusion: 71% of older adults with HF, 28% of older adults with CABG and 10% of older adults with PCI were frail. Most older adults who underwent a PCI or a CABG were not frail, while most older adults with HF were mildly frail.