Frailty does not affect prognostic markers in patients with acute coronary syndrome: results from a Brazilian university hospital

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate frailty and its relationship with prognostic markers in hospitalized patients with acute coronary syndrome. METHODS: This cross-sectional study with a prospective variable analysis (prognostic markers) involved adults of both sexes aged ≥ 50 years with acute coronary syndrome. Patients with ≥ 3 of the following criteria were considered frail: 1) unintentional weight loss; 2) exhaustion (assessed by self-reported fatigue); 3) low handgrip strength; 4) low physical activity level; and 5) low gait speed. The included prognostic markers were: metabolic changes (lipid and glycemic profile), changes in inflammatory status (C-reactive protein), thrombolysis in myocardial infarction risk score, troponin level, angioplasty or surgery, hospitalization in the intensive care unit, length of hospital stay, and hospital outcome. RESULTS: The sample consisted of 125 patients, whose mean age was 65.5 (SD, 8.7) years. The prevalence of frailty was 48.00%, which was higher in women (PR = 1.55; 95%CI 1.08­2.22; p = 0.018) and patients with systemic arterial hypertension (PR = 2.18; 95%CI 1.01­5.24; p = 0.030). Frailty was not associated with age, cardiac diagnosis, or prognostic markers (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Frailty was highly prevalent in patients with acute coronary syndrome, affecting almost half of the sample, particularly women and patients with hypertension, irrespective of age. However, despite its high prevalence, frailty was not associated with markers of metabolic change or poor prognosis.