Prevalence of ventricular ectopy in older adults across different frailty levels (original) (raw)

Frailty syndrome in patients with heart rhythm disorders

Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 2016

Aim: To assess the prevalence of frailty syndrome in patients with heart rhythm disorders that qualified for pacemaker implantation. Methods: The study included 171 patients (83 women, aged 73.9 ± 6.7 years) who qualified for pacemaker implantation as a result of sinus node dysfunction (81 patients) or atrio-ventricular blocks (AVB; 90 patients). A total of 60 patients (25 women, aged 72.40 ± 7.09 years) without heart rhythm disorders were included in the control group. Frailty syndrome was diagnosed using the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale test. Results: Frailty syndrome was diagnosed in 25.15% of the patients, and pre-frailty in 36.84% of the patients. Frailty syndrome was diagnosed in 10% of the control group, and the average value of frailty was 3.35 ± 0.92. Frailty occurred significantly more often among patients with AVB (33.34%) compared with patients who were diagnosed with sinus node dysfunction (16.05%); P = 0.0081. The average score of frailty for sinus node dysfunction was 3.71 ± 0.89, and for AVB it was 4.14 ± 0.93; P = 0.0152. In the case of AVB, the women had a statistically more intense level of frailty of 4.54 ± 0.90 as compared with the men 3.87 ± 0.85; P = 0.0294. In the multiple logistic analysis, the presence of any arrhythmia was strongly associated with frailty syndrome (OR 2.1286, 95% CI 1.4594-3.1049; P = 0.0001). Conclusions: Frailty syndrome was diagnosed in one-quarter of patients with cardiac arrhythmias, whereas a further 40% were at a higher risk of frailty syndrome, and its occurrence was significantly higher if compared with the control group. Frailty occurred significantly more often among patients with atrio-ventricular blocks, especially in women. The results of the present research showed that there is a statistical association between frailty and arrhythmias.

EHRA expert consensus document on the management of arrhythmias in frailty syndrome, endorsed by the Heart Rhythm Society (HRS), Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society (APHRS), Latin America Heart Rhythm Society (LAHRS), and Cardiac Arrhythmia Society of Southern Africa (CASSA)

Europace, 2023

There is an increasing proportion of the general population surviving to old age with significant chronic disease, multimorbidity, and disability. The prevalence of pre-frail state and frailty syndrome increases exponentially with advancing age and is associated with greater morbidity, disability, hospitalization, institutionalization, mortality, and health care resource use. Frailty represents a global problem, making early identification, evaluation, and treatment to prevent the cascade of events leading from functional decline to disability and death, one of the challenges of geriatric and general medicine. Cardiac arrhythmias are common in advancing age, chronic illness, and frailty and include a broad spectrum of rhythm and conduction abnormalities. However, no systematic studies or recommendations on the management of arrhythmias are available specifically for the elderly and frail population, and the uptake of many effective antiarrhythmic therapies in these patients remains the slowest. This European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) consensus document focuses on the biology of frailty, common comorbidities, and methods of assessing frailty, in respect to a specific issue of arrhythmias and conduction disease, provide evidence base advice on the management of arrhythmias in patients with frailty syndrome, and identifies knowledge gaps and directions for future research.

Centenarians and their hearts: A prospective registry with comprehensive geriatric assessment, electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and follow-up

American Heart Journal, 2015

Background Data on the cardiac characteristics of centenarians are scarce. Our aim was to describe electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiography in a cohort of centenarians and to correlate them with clinical data. Methods We used prospective multicenter registry of 118 centenarians (28 men) with a mean age of 101.5 ± 1.7 years. Electrocardiogram was performed in 103 subjects (87.3%) and echocardiography in 100 (84.7%). All subjects underwent a follow-up for at least 6 months. Results Centenarians with abnormal ECG were less frequently females (72% vs 93%), had higher rates of previous consumption of tobacco (14% vs 0) and alcohol (24% vs 12%), and scored lower in the perception of health status (6.8 ± 2.0 vs 8.3 ± 6.8). Centenarians with significant abnormalities in echocardiography were less frequently able to walk 6 m (33% vs 54%). Atrial fibrillation/flutter was found in 27 subjects (26%). Mean left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction was 60.0 ± 10.5%. Moderate or severe aortic valve stenosis was found in 16%, mitral valve regurgitation in 15%, and aortic valve regurgitation in 13%. Diastolic dysfunction was assessed in 79 subjects and was present in 55 (69.6%). Katz index and LV dilation were independently associated with the ability to walk 6 m. Age, Charlson and Katz indexes, and the presence of significant abnormalities in echocardiography were associated with mortality. Conclusions Centenarians have frequent ECG alterations and abnormalities in echocardiography. More than one fifth has atrial fibrillation, and most have diastolic dysfunction. Left ventricular dilation was associated with the ability to walk 6 m. Significant abnormalities in echocardiography were associated with mortality.

Older age and a higher EHRA score allow higher levels of frailty syndrome to be predicted in patients with atrial fibrillation

The Aging Male, 2016

Background: There is no research that evaluates the relationship between the severity of the symptoms of atrial fibrillation (AF), the presence of frailty syndrome and acceptance of the illness. Methods: The study included 132 patients aged 72.7 ± 6.73 with diagnosed AF. The severity of the symptoms of AF was determined according to European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) guidelines, frailty syndrome was assessed using the Tilburg frailty indicator (TFI) and the acceptance of the illness was assessed using the acceptance of illness scale (AIS). A standard statistical comparison and multiple regression analysis using the stepwise method were performed. Results: In patients with AF, frailty was 5.31 ± 2.69 (TFI). Frailty syndrome was diagnosed in 59.8% of the AF patients who had a score of 7.17 ± 1.72. A higher level of EHRA score was connected with a smaller degree of the acceptance of the illness p ¼ 0.0000. The multiple regression model indicated that age (p ¼ 0.0009) and the severity of the symptoms (p ¼ 0.0001) are important predictors of frailty syndrome. Conclusions: There is a relationship between the presence of frailty syndrome and the intensity of the symptoms and the acceptance of AF. Age and the EHRA score permitted higher levels of frailty syndrome to be predicted.

Frailty in cardiology: definition, assessment and clinical implications for general cardiology. A consensus document of the Council for Cardiology Practice (CCP), Association for Acute Cardio Vascular Care (ACVC), Association of Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions (ACNAP), European Asso...

European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2021

Frailty is a health condition leading to many adverse clinical outcomes. The relationship between frailty and advanced age, multimorbidity and disability has a significant impact on healthcare systems. Frailty increases cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality both in patients with or without known CV disease. Though the recognition of this additional risk factor has become increasingly clinically relevant in CV diseases, uncertainty remains about operative definitions, screening, assessment, and management of frailty. Since the burdens of frailty components and domains may vary in the various CV diseases and clinical settings, the relevance of specific frailty-related aspects may be different. Understanding these issues may allow general cardiologists a clearer focus on frailty in CV diseases and thereby make more tailored clinical decisions and therapeutic choices in outpatients. Guidance on identification and management of frailty are sparse and an international consensus docu...

The Routine Electrocardiogram for Cardiovascular Risk Stratification in Old Age: The Leiden 85-Plus Study

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2000

OBJECTIVES: To explore the prognostic value of signs of prior myocardial infarction (MI) and atrial fibrillation (AF) on routine electrocardiograms (ECGs) at the age of 85 with respect to mortality and changes in functional status. DESIGN: Observational, prospective cohort study with complete 6-year follow-up. SETTING: General population. PARTICIPANTS: A population-based sample of 566 85-year-old participants (377 women, 189 men), without exclusion criteria. MEASUREMENTS: Annual ECG recording and evaluation using automated Minnesota Coding; annual assessment of functional status using validated questionnaires and tests; complete mortality data from civic and national registries. RESULTS: Participants with prior MI at the age of 85 (prevalence 9%) showed greater all-cause mortality (relative risk (RR) 5 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5 1.2-2.2) and cardiovascular mortality (RR 5 2.5, 95% CI 5 1.6-3.8) but no accelerated decline in functional status during follow-up. Participants with AF at the age of 85 (prevalence 10%) showed greater all-cause (RR 5 1.5, 95% CI 5 1.2-2.0) and cardiovascular (RR 5 2.0, 95% CI 5 1.3-3.0) mortality, as well as an accelerated decline in functional status during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Very elderly people with prior MI or AF on a routine ECG have markedly greater (cardiovascular) mortality risks. In addition, AF, but not prior MI, is associated with accelerated decline in functional status. These findings suggest that older patients with occasional findings of prior MI or AF on a routine ECG should receive optimal secondary preventive therapy. Furthermore, programmatic ECG recording could be of significant value for cardiovas-cular risk stratification in old age and needs further exploration. J Am Geriatr Soc 55: 872-877, 2007.

Frailty significantly impairs the short term prognosis in elderly patients with heart failure

Journal of Geriatric Cardiology : JGC, 2018

Background Frailty is a condition of elderly characterized by increased vulnerability to stressful events with high risk of adverse outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between frailty and adverse outcomes including death and hospitalization due to heart failure in elderly patients. Methods We included patients aged ≥ 65 years with the diagnosis of heart failure. The clinical and laboratory data, echocardiography and ECGs were recorded. Additionally, the frailty scores of the patients were evaluated according to Canadian Study of Health and Aging. All the patients were divided as frail or non-frail. The groups were compared for their characteristics and the occurrence of clinical outcomes. Results We included 86 eligible patients. The median follow-up time was four months. The mean age was 75 ± 6.5 years. Of these 86 patients, 17 (19.7%) patients encountered an event (death and/or hospitalization). Nine patients (10.4%) died during follow-up. Thirty pa...

Combined Effects of Age and Comorbidities on Electrocardiographic Parameters in a Large Non-Selected Population

Journal of Clinical Medicine

Background: Previous studies have evaluated average electrocardiographic (ECG) values in healthy subjects or specific subpopulations. However, none have evaluated ECG average values in not selected populations, so we examined ECG changes with respect to age and sex in a large primary population. Methods: From digitized ECG stored from 2008 to 2021 in the Modena province, 130,471 patients were enrolled. Heart rate, P, QRS and T wave axis, P, QRS and T wave duration, PR interval, QTc, and frontal QRS-T angle were evaluated. Results: All ECG parameters showed a dependence on age, but only some of them with a straight-line correlation: QRS axis (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.991, r = 0.996), PR interval (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.978, r = 0.989), QTc (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.935, r = 0.967), and, in over 51.5 years old, QRS-T angle (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.979, r = 0.956). Differences between females and males and in different clinical settings were observed. Conclusions: ECG changes with ageing are explai...