Which frailty tool best predicts morbidity and mortality in ambulatory patients with heart failure? A prospective study.

Background: Frailty is common in patients with heart failure (HF) and is associated with adverse outcome, but it is uncertain how frailty should best be measured.

Objectives: To compare the prognostic value of commonly-used frailty tools in ambulatory patients with HF.

Methods And Results: We assessed, simultaneously, three screening tools [clinical frailty scale (CFS); Derby frailty index (DFI); acute frailty network (AFN) frailty criteria), three assessment tools (Fried criteria; Edmonton frailty score (EFS); deficit index (DI)) and three physical tests (handgrip strength, timed get-up-and-go test (TUGT), 5-metre walk test (5MWT)] in consecutive patients with HF attending a routine follow-up visit.

The impact of malnutrition on short-term morbidity and mortality in ambulatory patients with heart failure.

Background: Malnutrition is common in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and is associated with adverse outcomes, but it is uncertain how malnutrition should best be evaluated.

Objectives: This prospective cohort study aims to compare the short-term prognostic value of 9 commonly used malnutrition tools in patients with CHF.

Methods: We assessed, simultaneously, 3 simple tools [Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) score, Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and Prognostic Nutritional Index], 3 multidimensional tools [Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), Subjective Global Assessment], and 3 laboratory tests (serum cholesterol, albumin, and total lymphocyte count) in consecutive patients with CHF attending a routine follow-up.

Agreement and Classification Performance of Malnutrition Tools in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure.

Background: Malnutrition is common in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) and is associated with adverse outcome, but few data exist.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to compare the agreement and classification performance of 6 malnutrition tools in patients with CHF.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of 6 malnutrition tools: COntrolling NUTritional Status Index (CONUT), Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI), Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), and Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), in 467 consecutive patients with CHF who attended our clinic for follow-up.

Identification of Frailty in Chronic Heart Failure.

Objectives: This study sought to report the prevalence of frailty, classification performance, and agreement among 3 frailty assessment tools and 3 screening tools in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.

Background: Frailty is common in patients with CHF. There are many available frailty tools, but no standard method for evaluating frailty.

The impact of heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on mortality in patients presenting with breathlessness.

Background: Differentiating heart failure from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a patient presenting with breathlessness is difficult but may have implications for outcome. We investigated the prognostic impact of diagnoses of COPD and/or heart failure in consecutive patients presenting to a secondary care clinic with breathlessness.

Methods: In patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) by visual estimation, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) levels and spirometry were evaluated (N = 4986).