Assessment of frailty in cardiovascular disease: A necessary challenge

Abstract

The care of elderly patients is becoming increasingly more common in the clinical setting. This presents a challenge due to there being increased comorbidity and the presence of geriatric conditions or syndromes (frailty, sarcopenia, falls) that usually accompany them. Frailty is a common syndrome in the elderly patient, in which there is a decrease in physiological reserve that can lead to vulnerability to stress factors. Its prevalence increases on a par with life expectancy, and has a significant impact on public health since studies have demonstrated that it is associated with higher hospital admission rates, adverse surgical outcomes, mortality, and costs for the health systems. An update review has been made on the existing relationship between frailty and cardiovascular disease. Knowledge about frailty will serve as a guide to make decisions and as an objective in the investigation of an increasingly growing segment of the population.