Frailty Assessment in Heart Failure and Ventricular Assist Device Populations: A Review from the United States

There are currently 960,000 new individuals diagnosed with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) annually, pushing HFrEF prevalence to epidemic proportions with an estimated 8 million individuals diagnosed with HFrEF by 2030.1 Even more alarming, nearly half of individuals diagnosed with HFrEF will die within five years of diagnosis.2 Higher morbidity and mortality are reported in frail populations undergoing cardiovascular surgical procedures.3 Implantation of a durable left ventricular assist device (dLVAD) is a major cardiovascular surgical procedure, so it is paramount for clinicians to recognize and understand how best to assess frailty in individuals with HFrEF needing dLVAD therapy in order to minimize risk following surgery.
Source: Heart and Lung - Category: Intensive Care Authors: Source Type: research