2025 Volume 89 Issue 4 Pages 457-462
Background: Frailty is highly prevalent and associated with a poor prognosis in older patients with heart failure (HF). In this study, we investigated the association between frailty, as assessed by the Kihon Checklist (KCL), and readmissions in older patients with HF.
Methods and Results: We performed a retrospective cohort study of all consecutive older patients hospitalized for HF aged ≥65 years between September 2016 and March 2018. The KCL was based on the health condition and living situation of each patient prior to hospitalization and was categorized into 4 groups based on quartiles of the total score (Q1–4). The primary outcome was readmission due to HF within 2 years post-discharge. A total of 244 patients (111 males; mean age, 81.7 years [6.9]) were included. During 2 years of follow-up post-discharge, 71 patients (29.1%) experienced an adjudicated readmission for acute HF. Multivariable Cox regression analysis revealed that Q2–4 of the KCL were associated with an increased hazard ratio (HR) for HF readmission when compared with Q1 (Q2; HR [95% confidence interval (CI)]: 9.54 [2.78–32.66], P<0.001; Q3; 8.28 [2.37–28.84], P<0.001; Q4; 9.12 [2.51–33.11], P<0.001).
Conclusions: Our findings revealed an association between frailty, as assessed by the KCL, and readmissions for HF within 2 years of discharge in older patients with HF.
