Frailty as a predictor of negative outcomes after cardiac resynchronization therapy.

AIM: To assess the prevalence of frailty among patients who had cardiac resynchronization as well as the influence of frailty on the main endpoints during follow-up.

METHODS: The study included 156 patients (aged 74.33 ± 6.75; 27 W) with diagnosed heart failure who were hospitalized for the implantation of a cardiac resynchronization device. The Tilburg Frailty Indicator questionnaire was used to evaluate frailty syndrome.

RESULTS: Frailty syndrome was diagnosed in 75.64% of patients who were included. The average value of frailty for the whole group was 6.21 ± 1.94, for the physical domain 4.29 ± 1.32, for the psychological domain 1.40 ± 1.04, and for the social domain 0.51 ± 0.57. During the follow-up period, 5.7% of the patients died, and the mortality rate was not statistically higher (P  =  0.5795) among patients who were diagnosed with frailty syndrome (6.78%) compared to robust patients (2.63%). Analysis of the complications and first electrical storm episodes demonstrated that these events did not occur in patients with no identifiable frailty syndrome. These occurred at a rate of 4.24% (complications) and 2.54% (electric storm) in patients with frailty syndrome.

CONCLUSIONS: Frailty syndrome can be an important predictor of negative outcomes in patients with heart failure who undergo cardiac resynchronizations.