Barthel Index Score Predicts Mortality in Elderly Heart Failure - A Goal of Comprehensive Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Background: A strategy to predict mortality in elderly heart failure (HF) patients has not been established.

Methods and results: We retrospectively enrolled 413 HF patients aged ≥65 years (mean age 78 years) who had received comprehensive cardiac rehabilitation (CR) during hospitalization. Basic activities of daily life were assessed before discharge using the Barthel index (BI).

High percent body fat mass predicts lower risk of cardiac events in patients with heart failure: an explanation of the obesity paradox.

Background: Although high body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor of heart failure (HF), HF patients with a higher BMI had a lower mortality rate than that in HF patients with normal or lower BMI, a phenomenon that has been termed the "obesity paradox". However, the relationship between body composition, i.e.

Energy intake during hospital stay predicts all-cause mortality after discharge independently of nutritional status in elderly heart failure patients.

Objective: Malnutrition is associated with an increased risk of mortality in heart failure (HF) patients. Here, we examined the hypothesis that assessment of energy intake in addition to nutritional status improves the stratification of mortality risk in elderly HF patients.

Methods: We retrospectively examined 419 HF patients aged ≥ 65 years (median 78 years, 49% female).