The Role of Frailty in Identifying Benefit from Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement

Progression of frailty and cardiovascular outcomes among Medicare beneficiaries

BACKGROUND

Frailty is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes independent of age and comorbidities, yet the independent influence of frailty progression on cardiovascular outcomes remains uncertain.

METHODS

To determine whether frailty progression is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, independent of baseline frailty and age, we evaluated all Medicare Fee-for-Service beneficiaries ≥65 years at cohort inception with continuous enrollment from 2003 to 2015. Linear mixed effects models, adjusted for baseline frailty and age, were used to estimate change in a validated claims-based frailty index (CFI) over a 5-year period. Survival analysis was used to examine frailty progression and risk of adverse health outcomes.

RESULTS

There were 8.9 million unique patients identified, mean age 77.3 ± 7.2 years, 58.7% female, 10.9% non-White race. In total, 60% had frailty progression and 40% frailty regression over median follow-up of 2.4 years. Compared to those with frailty regression, when adjusting for age and baseline CFI, those with frailty progression had a significantly greater risk of incident major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) (hazard ratio [HR] 1.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.31-1.31), all-cause mortality (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.34-1.34), acute myocardial infarction (HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.07-1.09), heart failure exacerbation (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.29-1.30), ischemic stroke (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.14-1.15). There was also a graded increase in risk of each outcome with more rapid progression, as well as significantly fewer days alive at home (DAH) with more rapid progression compared to the slowest progression group (270.4 ± 112.3 vs. 308.6 ± 93.0 days, rate ratio 0.88, 95% CI 0.87-0.88, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this large, nationwide sample of older Medicare beneficiaries, frailty progression, independent of age and baseline frailty, was associated with fewer DAH and a graded risk of MACCE, all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and ischemic stroke compared to those with frailty regression.

Impact of frailty on outcomes and readmissions after transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement in a national cohort

Objective

We examined the effect of frailty on in-hospital mortality, readmission rates, and hospitalization costs after transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement in a population-level cohort.

Methods

The Nationwide Readmissions Database was queried for patients who underwent transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement during 2016-2018. Multivariate logistic regression was used to discern independent effects of frailty on outcomes. Kaplan-Meier time-to-event analysis was used to evaluate the effect of frailty on freedom from readmission.

Results

A total of 243,619 patients underwent aortic valve replacement: 142,786 (58.6%) transcatheter aortic valve replacements and 100,833 (41.4%) surgical aortic valve replacements. Frail patients constituted 16,388 (11.5%) and 7251 (7.2%) in the transcatheter aortic valve replacement and surgical aortic valve replacement cohorts, respectively. Compared with nonfrail patients, frail patients had greater in-hospital mortality (transcatheter aortic valve replacement: 3.2% vs 1.1%; surgical aortic valve replacement: 6.1% vs 2.0%; both P < .001), longer length of stay (transcatheter aortic valve replacement: 4 vs 2 days; surgical aortic valve replacement: 13 vs 6 days; P < .001), and greater cost (transcatheter aortic valve replacement: $51,654 vs $44,401; surgical aortic valve replacement: $60,782 vs $40,544; P < .001). Time-to-event analysis showed that frail patients had higher rates of readmission over the calendar year in both transcatheter aortic valve replacement (P < .001) and surgical aortic valve replacement (P < .001) cohorts. This association persisted on adjusted multivariate regression for mortality (transcatheter aortic valve replacement odds ratio [95% CI] 1.98 [1.65-2.37], surgical aortic valve replacement 1.96 [1.60-2.41]), 30-day readmission (transcatheter aortic valve replacement 1.38 [1.27-1.49], surgical aortic valve replacement 1.47 [1.30-1.65]), and 90-day readmission (transcatheter aortic valve replacement 1.41 [1.31-1.52], surgical aortic valve replacement 1.60 [1.43-1.79]) (P < .001 for all).

Conclusions

For patients undergoing transcatheter or surgical aortic valve replacement, frailty is associated with in-hospital mortality, readmission, and higher costs. Further efforts to optimize outcomes for frail patients are warranted.

A Comprehensive Geriatric Workup and Frailty Assessment in Older Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis

Aortic stenosis (AS) represents a notable paradigm for cardiovascular (CV) and geriatric disorders owing to comorbidity. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was initially considered a therapeutic strategy in elderly individuals deemed unsuitable for or at high risk of surgical valve replacement. The progressive improvement in TAVR technology has led to the need to refine older patients' stratification, progressively incorporating the concept of frailty and other geriatric vulnerabilities. Recognizing the intricate nature of the aging process, reliance exclusively on chronological age for stratification resulted in an initial but inadequate tool to assess both CV and non-CV risks effectively. A comprehensive geriatric evaluation should be performed before TAVR procedures, taking into account both physical and cognitive capabilities and post-procedural outcomes through a multidisciplinary framework. This review adopts a multidisciplinary perspective to delve into the diagnosis and holistic management of AS in elderly populations in order to facilitate decision-making, thereby optimizing outcomes centered around patient well-being.

Assessing the Benefits and Harms of Pharmacotherapy in Older Adults with Frailty: Insights from Pharmacoepidemiologic Studies of Routine Health Care Data

The objective of this review is to summarize and appraise the research methodology, emerging findings, and future directions in pharmacoepidemiologic studies assessing the benefits and harms of pharmacotherapies in older adults with different levels of frailty. Older adults living with frailty are at elevated risk for poor health outcomes and adverse effects from pharmacotherapy. However, current evidence is limited due to the under-enrollment of frail older adults and the lack of validated frailty assessments in clinical trials. Recent advancements in measuring frailty in administrative claims and electronic health records (database-derived frailty scores) have enabled researchers to identify patients with frailty and to evaluate the heterogeneity of treatment effects by patients' frailty levels using routine health care data. When selecting a database-derived frailty score, researchers must consider the type of data (e.g., different coding systems), the length of the predictor assessment period, the extent of validation against clinically validated frailty measures, and the possibility of surveillance bias arising from unequal access to care. We reviewed 13 pharmacoepidemiologic studies published on PubMed from 2013 to 2023 that evaluated the benefits and harms of cardiovascular medications, diabetes medications, anti-neoplastic agents, antipsychotic medications, and vaccines by frailty levels. These studies suggest that, while greater frailty is positively associated with adverse treatment outcomes, older adults with frailty can still benefit from pharmacotherapy. Therefore, we recommend routine frailty subgroup analyses in pharmacoepidemiologic studies. Despite data and design limitations, the findings from such studies may be informative to tailor pharmacotherapy for older adults across the frailty spectrum.

Frailty and transcatheter valve intervention: A narrative review

Frailty is a common clinical syndrome that portends poor peri-procedural outcomes and increased mortality following transcatheter valve interventions. We reviewed frailty assessment tools in transcatheter intervention cohorts to recommend a pathway for preprocedural frailty assessment in patients referred for transcatheter valve procedures, and evaluated current evidence for frailty interventions and their efficacy in transcatheter intervention. We recommend the use of a frailty screening instrument to identify patients as frail, with subsequent referral for comprehensive geriatric assessment in these patients, to assist in selecting appropriate patients and then optimizing them for transcatheter valve interventions. Interventions to reduce preprocedural frailty are not well defined, however, data from limited cohort studies support exercise-based interventions to increase functional capacity and reduce frailty in parallel with preprocedural medical optimization.

Effect of Sex and Flow Status on Outcomes After Surgical or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Background

Low stroke volume index <35 ml/m2 despite preserved ejection fraction (paradoxical low flow [PLF]) is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). However, whether the risk associated with PLF is similar in both sexes is unknown.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to analyze the risk associated with PLF in severe aortic stenosis for men and women randomized to TAVR or SAVR.

Methods

Patients with ejection fraction ≥50% from the PARTNER (Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves) 2 and 3 trials were stratified by sex and treatment arm. The impact of PLF on the 2-year occurrence of the composite of death or heart failure hospitalization (primary endpoint) and of all-cause mortality alone (secondary endpoint) was analyzed. Analysis of variance was used to assess baseline differences between groups. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify predictors of the endpoint.

Results

Out of 2,242 patients, PLF was present in 390 men and 239 women (30% vs 26%, P = 0.06). PLF was associated with a higher rate of NYHA functional class III to IV dyspnea (60% vs 54%, P < 0.001) and a higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation (39% vs 24%, P < 0.001). PLF was a significant predictor of the primary endpoint among women undergoing SAVR in multivariate analysis (adjusted HR: 2.25 [95% CI: 1.14-4.43], P = 0.02) but was not associated with a worse outcome in any of the other groups (all P > 0.05).

Conclusions

In women with PLF, TAVR may improve outcomes compared to SAVR. PLF appears to have less impact on outcomes in men.

Progression of Frailty and Cardiovascular Outcomes Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Background

Frailty is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes independent of age and comorbidities, yet the independent influence of frailty progression remains uncertain.

Methods

Medicare Fee-for-service beneficiaries ≥ 65 years at cohort inception with continuous enrollment from 2003-2015 were included. Frailty trajectory was measured by annualized change in a validated claims-based frailty index (CFI) over a 5-year period. Linear mixed effects models, adjusting for baseline frailty, were used to estimate CFI change over a 5-year period. Survival analysis was used to evaluate associations of frailty progression and future health outcomes (major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events [MACCE], all-cause death, heart failure, myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and days alive at home [DAH] within the following calendar year).

Results

26.4 million unique beneficiaries were included (mean age 75.4 ± 7.0 years, 57% female, 13% non-White). In total, 20% had frailty progression, 66% had no change in frailty, and 14% frailty regression over median follow-up of 2.4 years. Compared to those without a change in CFI, when adjusting for baseline frailty, those with frailty progression had significantly greater risk of incident MACCE (hazard ratio [HR] 2.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.30-2.31), all-cause mortality (HR 1.59, 95% CI 1.58-1.59), acute myocardial infarction (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.77-1.79), heart failure (HR 2.78, 95% CI 2.77-2.79), and stroke (HR 1.78, 95% CI 1.77-1.79). There was also a graded increase in risk of each outcome with more rapid progression and significantly fewer DAH with the most rapid vs. the slowest progression group (270.4 ± 112.3 vs. 308.6 ± 93.0 days, rate ratio 0.88, 95% CI 0.87-0.88, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

In this large, nationwide sample of Medicare beneficiaries, frailty progression, independent of baseline frailty, was associated with fewer DAH and a graded risk of MACCE, all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke compared to those without progression.

Epicardial adipose tissue as an independent predictor of long-term outcome in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement

BACKGROUND

Accurate risk stratification is important to improve patient selection and outcome of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). As epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is discussed to be involved in cardiovascular disease, it could be useful as a marker of poor prognosis in patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR.

METHODS

A total of 416 patients diagnosed with severe AS by transthoracic echocardiography were assigned for TAVR and enrolled for systematic assessment. Patients underwent clinical surveys and 5-year long-term follow-up, with all-cause mortality as the primary endpoint. EAT volume was quantified on pre-TAVR planning CTs. Patients were retrospectively dichotomized at the median of 74 cm3 of EAT into groups with low EAT and high EAT volumes. Mortality rates were compared using Kaplan-Meyer plots and uni- and multivariable cox regression analyses.

RESULTS

A total number of 341 of 416 patients (median age 80.9 years, 45% female) were included in the final analysis. Patients with high EAT volumes had similar short-term outcome (p = 0.794) but significantly worse long-term prognosis (p = 0.023) compared to patients with low EAT volumes. Increased EAT volumes were associated with worse long-term outcome (HR1.59; p = 0.031) independently from concomitant cardiovascular risk factors, general type of AS, and functional echocardiography parameters of AS severity (HR1.69; p = 0.013).

CONCLUSION

Increased EAT volume is an independent predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with severe AS undergoing TAVR. It can be easily obtained from pre-TAVR planning CTs and may thus qualify as a novel marker to improve prognostication and management of patient with severe AS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

DRKS, DRKS00024479.

Depression and Malnutrition for Prediction of Mortality after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Registry Study of a Tertiary Referral Hospital

Moderate to severe frailty is a predictor of a poor outcome after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), but little is known about the prognostic importance of different geriatric frailty markers in an overall fit or pre-frail geriatric population undergoing TAVR. This retrospective study aimed to examine the incremental value of adding patient frailty markers to conventional surgical risk score to predict all-cause mortality in relatively fit elderly patients undergoing TAVR. Overall patient frailty was assessed using the comprehensive geriatric assessment frailty index (CGA-FI). Multivariable Cox regression models were used to evaluate relationships of different geriatric frailty markers with all-cause mortality and single and combined frailty models were compared to a baseline model that included EuroSCORE II factors. One hundred relatively fit geriatric patients (84 ± 4 years old, mean CGA-FI 0.14 ± 0.05) were included, and 28% died during a median follow-up of 24 months. After adjustment, risk of depression (geriatric depression scale 15 (GDS-15)) and malnutrition remained significantly associated with all-cause mortality (HR 4.381, 95% CI 1.787-10.743; p = 0.001 and HR 3.076, 95% CI 1.151-8.217; p = 0.025, respectively). A combined frailty marker model including both GDS-15 and malnutrition on top of EuroSCORE II improved the discriminative ability to predict all-cause mortality (change in c-index: + 0.044). Screening for those frailty markers on top of the traditionally used EuroSCORE II may improve risk stratification and prognosis in relatively fit geriatric patients undergoing TAVR.

Predicting 5-Year Clinical Outcomes After Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement (a Risk Score from the SURTAVI Trial)

Risk prediction scores for long-term outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) are lacking. This study aimed to develop preprocedural risk scores for 5-year clinical outcomes after TAVI or SAVR. This analysis included 1,660 patients at an intermediate surgical risk with severe aortic stenosis randomly assigned to TAVI (n = 864) or SAVR (n = 796) from the SURTAVI (Surgical Replacement and Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation) trial. The primary end point was a composite of all-cause mortality or disabling stroke at 5 years. The secondary end point was a composite of cardiovascular mortality or hospitalizations for valve disease or worsening heart failure at 5 years. Preprocedural multivariable predictors of clinical outcomes were used to calculate a simple risk score for both procedures. At 5 years, the primary end point occurred in 31.3% of the patients with TAVI and 30.8% of the patients with SAVR. Preprocedural predictors differed between TAVI and SAVR. Baseline anticoagulant use was a common predictor for events in both procedures, whereas male sex and a left ventricular ejection fraction <60% were significant predictors for events in patients with TAVI and SAVR, respectively. A total of 4 simple scoring systems were created based on these multivariable predictors. The C-statistics of all models were modest but performed better than the contemporary risk scores. In conclusion, preprocedural predictors of events differ between TAVI and SAVR, necessitating separate risk models. Despite the modest predictive value of the SURTAVI risk scores, they appeared superior to other contemporary scores. Further research is needed to strengthen and validate our risk scores, possibly by including biomarker and echocardiographic parameters.

Association Between Claims-Defined Frailty and Outcomes Following 30 Versus 12 Months of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Findings From the EXTEND-DAPT Study

Background Frailty is rarely assessed in clinical trials of patients who receive dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after percutaneous coronary intervention. This study investigated whether frailty defined using claims data is associated with outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention, and if there is a differential association in patients receiving standard versus extended duration DAPT. Methods and Results Patients ≥65 years of age in the DAPT (Dual Antiplatelet Therapy) Study, a randomized trial comparing 30 versus 12 months of DAPT following percutaneous coronary intervention, had data linked to Medicare claims (n=1326), and a previously validated claims-based index was used to define frailty. Net adverse clinical events, a composite of all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, and major bleeding, were compared between frail and nonfrail patients. Patients defined as frail using claims data (12.0% of the cohort) had higher incidence of net adverse clinical events (23.1%) compared with nonfrail patients (10.7%; P<0.001) at 18-month follow-up and increased risk after multivariable adjustment (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 2.24 [95% CI, 1.38-3.63]). There were no differences in effects of extended duration DAPT on net adverse clinical events for frail (HR, 1.42 [95% CI, 0.73-2.75]) and nonfrail patients (HR, 1.18 [95% CI, 0.83-1.68]; interaction P=0.61), although analyses were underpowered. Bleeding was highest among frail patients who received extended duration DAPT. Conclusions Among older patients in the DAPT Study, claims-defined frailty was associated with higher net adverse clinical events. Effects of extended duration DAPT were not different for frail patients, although comparisons were underpowered. Further investigation of how frailty influences ischemic and bleeding risks with DAPT are warranted. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT00977938.

Residing in a Food Desert and Adverse Cardiovascular Events in US Veterans With Established Cardiovascular Disease

Residents living in a "food desert" are known to be at a higher risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, national-level data regarding the influence of residing in a food desert in patients with established CVD is lacking. Data from veterans with established atherosclerotic CVD who received outpatient care in the Veterans Health Administration system between January 2016 and December 2021 were obtained, with follow-up information collected until May 2022 (median follow-up: 4.3 years). A food desert was defined using the United States Department of Agriculture criteria, and census tract data were used to identify Veterans in these areas. All-cause mortality and the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs; a composite of myocardial infarction/stroke/heart failure/all-cause mortality) were evaluated as the co-primary end points. The relative risk for MACE in food desert areas was evaluated by fitting multivariable Cox models adjusted for age, gender, race, ethnicity, and median household income, with food desert status as the primary exposure. Of the 1,640,346 patients (mean age 72 years, women 2.7%, White 77.7%, Hispanic 3.4%), 25,7814 (15.7%) belonged to the food desert group. Patients residing in food deserts were younger; more likely to be Black (22% vs 13%)or Hispanic (4% vs 3.5%); and had a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (52.7% vs 49.8%), chronic kidney disease (31.8% vs 30.4%,) and heart failure (25.6% vs 23.8%). Adjusted for covariates, food desert patients had a higher risk of MACE (hazard ratio 1.040 [1.033 to 1.047]; p <0.001) and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.032 [1.024 to 1.039]; p <0.001). In conclusion, we observed that a large proportion of US veterans with established atherosclerotic CVD reside in food desert census tracts. Adjusting for age, gender, race, and ethnicity, residing in food deserts was associated with a higher risk of adverse cardiac events and all-cause mortality.

Frailty and Recurrent Hospitalization After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Background For frail patients with limited life expectancy, time in hospital following transcatheter aortic valve replacement is an important measure of quality of life; however, data remain scarce. Thus, we aimed to investigate frailty and its relation to time in hospital during the first year after transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Methods and Results From 2008 to 2020, all Danish patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement and were alive at discharge were included. Using the validated Hospital Frailty Risk Score, patients were categorized in the low, intermediate, and high frailty groups. Time in hospital and mortality up to 1 year are reported according to frailty groups. In total, 3437 (57.6%), 2277 (38.1%), and 257 (4.3%) were categorized in the low, intermediate, and high frailty groups, respectively. Median age was ≈81 years. Female sex and comorbidity burden were incrementally higher across frailty groups (low frailty: heart failure, 24.1%; stroke, 7.2%; and chronic kidney disease, 4.5%; versus high frailty: heart failure, 42.8%; stroke, 34.2%; and chronic kidney disease, 29.2%). In the low frailty group, 50.5% survived 1 year without a hospital admission, 10.8% were hospitalized >15 days, and 5.8% of patients died. By contrast, 26.1% of patients in the high frailty group survived 1 year without a hospital admission, 26.4% were hospitalized >15 days, and 15.6% died within 1 year. Differences persisted in models adjusted for sex, age, frailty, and comorbidity burden (excluding overlapping comorbidities). Conclusions Among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement, frailty is strongly associated with time in hospital and mortality. Prevention strategies for frail patients to reduce hospitalization burden could be beneficial.

Impact of frailty on disease-specific health status in cardiovascular disease

Frailty is a syndrome of older age that reflects an impaired physiological reserve and decreased ability to recover from medical stressors. While the impact of frailty on mortality in cardiovascular disease has been well described, its impact on cardiovascular disease-specific health status-cardiac symptoms, physical functioning and quality of life-has been less well studied. In this review, we summarise the impact of frailty on health status outcomes across different cardiovascular conditions. In heart failure, frail patients have markedly impaired disease-specific health status and are at risk for subsequent health status deteriorations. However, frail patients have similar or even greater health status improvements with interventions for heart failure, such as cardiac rehabilitation or guideline-directed medical therapy. In valvular heart disease, the impact of frailty on disease-specific health status is of even greater concern since management involves physiologically taxing procedures that can worsen health status. Frailty increases the risk of poor health status outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve intervention or surgical aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis, but there is no evidence that frail patients benefit more from one procedure versus another. In both heart failure and valvular heart disease, health status improvements may reverse frailty, highlighting the overlap between cardiovascular disease and frailty and emphasising that treatment should typically not be withheld based on the presence of frailty alone. Meanwhile, data are limited on the impact of frailty on health status outcomes in the treatment of coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease and atrial fibrillation, and requires further research.