Evaluating the Association between Frailty Status and Health Outcomes among Hospitalized Older adult Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: A Prospective Study

Abstract

Objective(s): This study aimed to assess frailty status and examine its association with in-hospital outcomes among patients admitted with acute cardiovascular conditions.

Methods: A prospective observational cohort study was conducted in the Cardiac Care Unit of Baquba Teaching Hospital in Diyala province from December 2024 to March 2025. Frailty was assessed by the validated tool Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). In-hospital mortality, unscheduled 30-day readmission, and length of hospital stay were the primary outcomes measured.

Results: A total of 200 patients were recruited. The median age was 71 years, and (55.5%) of them were female. Of the cohort, 117 patients were considered frail, according to the CFS, giving a prevalence of (58.5%). Frailty was an independent predictor of in-hospital death, irrespective of adjusting some potential confounders (OR = 1.985, 95% CI = 1.218–3.235).  

Conclusion: The study revealed that frailty was prevalent in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease. Frail patients had a higher rate of in-hospital mortality compared to their counterparts.

Recommendations: Based on the study result, it is vital to identify frailty status when assessing older adult patients to tailor cardiovascular treatment individually along with interventions to reduce frailty should be a primary focus in this high-risk population. Furthermore, frailty assessment could be adopted as risk stratification in the acute care setting.