title: Sex and age differences in fragility in a heart failure population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Heart failure (HF) patients have a high degree of fragility and dependence from physical, cognitive and psychological points of view, and are a mainly geriatric population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To detect the existence of fragility in all patients treated in a Heart Failure Unit and to evaluate age and sex differences.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients underwent a basic geriatric evaluation to detect possible loss of autonomy for doing basic and instrumental activities, cognitive deterioration, emotional disturbance or social risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred sixty patients (mean age 65.2 years, 41.7% > or = 70 years, 27.5% women) were evaluated. Fragility was detected in 41.7% of patients, being more prevalent in patients > or = 70 years (p<0.001) and in women (p<0.001). A Barthel Index < 90 was found in 22.5% of patients and an anomalous OARS Scale was found in 18.3%. Pfeiffer test's score was abnormal in 7.8% of patients. A positive depression response in abbreviate GDS was observed in 29.7%. All items analysed were more prevalent in patients > or = 70 years and in women, with the unexpected exception of depression symptoms that were as prevalent in younger as in older patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fragility is common in patients with heart failure, even in younger patients, and can be detected easily using standardised geriatric scales. Prevalence of fragility was significantly higher in older patients and in women, although the presence of depression symptoms was as prevalent in younger as in older patients.
authors.affiliation: Unitat d'Insuficiència Cardíaca, Servei de Cardiología, Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Carretera del canyet s/n, 08916 Badalona, Spain.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Altimir
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lupón
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: Montserrat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prats
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Parajón
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Urrutia
authors.forename: Ramon
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coll
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Valle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors