title: Cardiac Structure and Function and Frailty in Subjects Aged 85 and 86 Years.
abstract: Frailty is a biologic syndrome reflecting a state of decreased physiological reserve of increasing importance in cardiovascular disease given the aging of the population. The relation between frailty and indexes of cardiac structure and function remains unclear, particularly in the "oldest old." The objective of this study was to examine the association between cardiac function and frailty in an age-homogenous, community-dwelling population of subjects aged 85 and 86 years. Subjects were recruited at ages 85 to 86 from the Jerusalem Longitudinal Cohort Study that has followed an age-homogenous cohort of Jerusalem residents. Subjects underwent echocardiography at their place of residence with standard assessment of cardiac structure and function. Frailty was defined according to the "phenotype of frailty" including at least 3 of the following: weakness, slowness, low physical activity level, exhaustion, and weight loss; 405 subjects (193 men and 212 women) were enrolled in the study. Subjects defined as frail had significantly lower ejection fraction compared with the non-frail group (53.7 ± 0.09% vs 56.4 ± 0.09%; p <0.04). In addition, frail subjects had increased LV mass index (130.6 ± 36.2 g/m(2) vs 119.2 ± 31.1 g/m(2); p <0.03) and LA volume index (41.9 ± 14.7 cm(3)/m(2) vs 36.7 ± 13.1 cm(3)/m(2); p <0.001). Indexes of diastolic function (E/e)' were not significantly different in the 2 groups (11.5 vs 11.8; p = NS). In this age-homogenous cohort of the oldest old, structural changes and indexes of systolic but not diastolic function were associated with frailty.
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Institute of Aging Research, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel. Electronic address: oleibo@hadassah.org.il.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leibowitz
authors.affiliation: Institute of Aging Research, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Jeremy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gilon
authors.affiliation: Institute of Aging Research, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Irit
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lande-Stessman
authors.affiliation: Institute of Aging Research, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Eliana
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ein-Mor
authors.affiliation: Institute of Aging Research, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center and Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: Jochanan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stessman
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D015444:Exercise; D005221:Fatigue; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male