Frailty in Elderly Patients Receiving Cardiac Interventional Procedures

In Italy, life expectancy at birth has reached 80 years in men and 85 in women; in about 50 years, life expectancy at the age of 80 has increased by an extraordinary 61% and 55%, respectively, due to more effective therapies and lower mortality of many diseases. Yet, chronic diseases are nowadays more important, and often coexist as comorbidity or multimorbidity, depending on whether an index condition has been considered. These conditions increase the risk of death and reduce functional autonomy in the elderly and, therefore, should be carefully considered within comprehensive geriatric assessment. The epidemiology of cardiovascular disease, as demonstrated among others by the Oxford Vascular Study, shows a clear trend in age-dependent, as the number of events and their incidence increases with age, and about half are concentrates over 75 years. In addition, some observational studies in elderly patients have suggested an association between frailty and cardiovascular disease: fragility and cardiovascular disease share a common biological pathway, and cardiovascular diseases may accelerate the onset of frailty. The frailty syndrome was identified in 25% to 50% of patients with cardiovascular disease, according to the rating scale used and the population studied. Frail patients with cardiovascular disease, in particular those undergoing invasive procedures or suffering from coronary artery disease and aortic valve disease, have a much higher adverse events and complications, suggesting the need for a more accurate functional stratification and a more careful evaluation of the risk/benefit ratio of some invasive procedures. Among the numerous tests proposed in the literature for the functional evaluation and objective measures of physical capability in elderly patient, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and the evaluation of hand grip strength (grip strength) are those characterized by an improved prognostic ability and an easy administration. The prese