Impact of functional decline on outcome in elderly patients with acute coronary syndromes

Abstract

Background: Management of acute coronary syndromes in elderly patients is poorly defined. Objective: To assess the impact of functional decline on all-cause mortality in elderly patients with acute coronary syndromes. Method: Clinical data, including the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events score and assessment of functional status obtained by using the Katz scale, were prospectively collected on 272 patients 70 years or older hospitalized for acute coronary syndromes. All-cause mortality was assessed at 6 months, and longer term outcome data were obtained. Results: Mean age of the patients was 78 years (SD, 6), and 58% were men. A total of 28% had functional decline. Six months after the index hospitalization, 38 patients had died. Another [29] patients died during a median follow-up of 611 days after the initial 6 months. Functional decline was associated with both 6-month (hazards ratio, 3.63; 95% CI, 1.91-6.88; P