January 16, 2015Open Access
View Full PaperFrailty Syndrome in cardiovascular disease: Clinical significance and research tools
Key Result
Frailty Syndrome assessment in the elderly cardiac population is essential for accurate risk stratification and therapeutic decision-making, as chronological age alone inadequately estimates risk.
Structured PICO
P
Population
Elderly patients with cardiovascular disease
I
Intervention
Identification and assessment of Frailty Syndrome
Identifying Frailty Syndrome in elderly cardiac patients is essential for accurate risk stratification and therapeutic decision-making beyond chronological age.
Abstract
Frailty Syndrome is one of the key health problems in geriatrics, strongly affecting poor prognosis. There is a growing interest in the relevance of this syndrome in cardiovascular disease. The diagnosis of Frailty Syndrome in the elderly cardiac population is essential for an accurate risk stratification and for making therapeutic decisions. Most risk assessment systems used in cardiology are based on chronological age, which does not always reflect the biological age of a patient, therefore making an inadequate risk estimation. This paper discusses the definitions of Frailty Syndrome and research tools used to identify it. We specifically address the role of Frailty Syndrome in cardiovascular disease and the diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties in patients with Frailty Syndrome, emphasizing the role of the identification of Frailty Syndrome in making therapeutic decisions and the stratification of cardiovascular risk in patients with cardiologic conditions.