Frailty in older patients with heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction
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Abstract
Background: Heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFmrEF) is increasingly recognized among older adults and exhibits clinical characteristics intermediate between other HF phenotypes. Frailty is common in patients with HF and is associated with adverse outcomes. However, data on frailty among older patients with HFmrEF in Vietnam remain limited.
Objective: To determine the prevalence of frailty according to the Fried criteria and to identify associated factors among older patients with HFmrEF.
Methods: From July 2025 to March 2026, patients aged ≥ 60 years with HFmrEF who were managed in outpatient clinics at Thong Nhat Hospital and the University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City were screened and enrolled in the study. Frailty was assessed using the Fried criteria. Factors associated with frailty were analyzed using logistic regression.
Results: A total of 100 patients were included with a median age of 71 years (IQR 65 – 77), and 55% were male. According to the Fried criteria, the proportions of robust, pre-frail, and frail patients were 12%, 26%, and 62%, respectively. The prevalence of individual frailty components was as follows: weakness (79%), low physical activity (72%), slowness (65%), exhaustion (51%), and unintentional weight loss (7%). Dependence in instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and chronic coronary syndrome were associated with frailty.
Conclusion: Frailty is highly prevalent among older outpatients with HFmrEF. Weakness was the most common frailty component according to the Fried criteria. Dependence in IADL and chronic coronary syndrome were associated with frailty in this population.
Keywords
Frailty, Fried criteria, older adults, heart failure with mildly reduced ejection fraction
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References
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