Physical frailty and its impact on long-term outcomes in older patients with acute heart failure after discharge from an emergency department.

OBJECTIVES To study the frequency of physical frailty and explore whether its presence in older patients with acute heart failure (AHF) is associated with adverse outcomes in the year after discharge from a emergency department (ED). MATERIAL AND METHODS Prospective observational cohort study in patients with AHF aged 75 years or older who were discharged from our ED. Physical frailty was defined by a score of 7 or less on the Short Physical Performance Battery. The outcome was the development of a composite event (ED revisit for AHF, hospital readmission for AHF, or all-cause mortality) within 365 days of discharge from the ED. RESULTS Eighty-six patients with a mean (SD) age of 84 (6) years were included; 59.3% were women. Frailty was identified in 49 patients (57%). The composite outcome was observed in 46.5% within 365 days. Physical fragility was an independent predictor of the outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.0-12.9; P=.047). CONCLUSION Frailty in older patients with AHF may predict a poor outcome during the year following discharge from an emergency department.