Frailty linked to increased AF-related hospitalizations in seniors

Older adults with frailty are predisposed to atrial fibrillation (AF)-related hospitalizations, regardless of the presence of multimorbidity, according to a study.

Researchers used data from an observational cohort study in north-eastern Italy, the Progetto Veneto Anziani, and identified 2,909 individuals aged ≥65 years (mean age 76.2 years, 60 percent female) who were free of AF at baseline. Follow-ups were conducted at 4.4 and 7 years. Frailty was defined according to Fried’s criteria and multimorbidity as the number of chronic diseases.

The main outcome of hospitalizations for AF over the first 10 years of observation were ascertained through linkage from regional registers. Deaths during the observation period were also recorded.

At baseline, 267 participants (9.2 percent) were frail and 1,333 (45.8 percent) were prefrail. Overall, the participants had five chronic conditions on average, had a mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 22.9, and a relatively high level of self-sufficiency in activities of daily living (ADL).

During the follow-up period, AF-related hospitalizations occurred in 318 (10.9 percent) participants. The risk of hospitalizations due to AF was 42 percent higher among those who were prefrail (hazard ratio [HR], 1.42, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.04–1.95) and 98 percent higher among those who were frail (HR, 1.98, 95 percent CI, 1.21–3.26) relative to robust participants, even after adjusting for multimorbidity.

The number of chronic diseases showed a marginal, nonsignificant association with AF-related hospitalizations (HR, 1.07, 95 percent CI, 0.99–1.15) and did not significantly interact with frailty in the association with AF-related hospitalizations.