Heart failure & cardiomyopathies

Prognostic Impact of Frailty at Admission and in-Hospital Changes of Frailty Status in Elderly Patients with Acute Heart Failure

Eur J Heart FailPublished Retrospective cohort study

Authors' conclusion

Frailty is an independent prognostic marker of increased mortality risk in patients with AHF. Improvement of frailty status during hospitalization reduces mortality risk while worsening of frailty increases mortality risk.

Study context

Population
Hospitalized acute HF patients ≥65 years, tertiary hospital in Vienna, 2012–2019; frailty assessed by nursing staff at admission and dischargemean age 81 ± 8 years
Participants
2,619 patients
Exposure
Moderate and severe frailty vs no frailty at admission
Outcome
All-cause mortality
Follow-up
1 year
Methodological detailssingle-centre, AHF-COR Registry
  • Single-centre
  • AHF-COR Registry

Main finding

As reported in the abstract

1-year mortality
Each group vs non-frailtyAdjusted hazard ratio (95% CI)P value
Moderate frailty
1.89(1.60–2.23)
P < 0.001
Severe frailty
2.91(2.36–3.59)
P < 0.001

Observational data: associations, not effects.

Further findings

1-year mortality by in-hospital change in frailty status

Adjusted HR (95% CI)P value
Improvement in frailty0.65 (0.49–0.88)P < 0.001
Worsening of frailty3.18 (2.07–4.91)P < 0.001

28-day and 5-year mortality

Similar results for 28-day and 5-year mortality risk

GDMT in HFrEF by frailty

GDMT prescription decreased with increasing frailty but was associated with reduced mortality regardless of frailty status
pfrailty-interaction = 0.592

Original publication

Prognostic Impact of Frailty at Admission and in-Hospital Changes of Frailty Status in Elderly Patients with Acute Heart Failure. Eur J Heart Fail. Published 25 July 2025. doi:10.1002/ejhf.3779

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