Frailty and related outcomes in patients undergoing transcatheter valve therapies in a nationwide cohort

Impact of frailty on short term outcomes, resource use, and readmissions after transcatheter mitral valve repair: A national analysis

Background

Treatment options for mitral regurgitation range from diuretic therapy, to surgical and interventional strategies including TMVR in high-risk surgical candidates. Frailty has been associated with inferior outcomes following hospitalizations for heart failure and in open cardiac surgery.

Objective

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of frailty on clinical outcomes and resource use following transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR).

Methods

Adults undergoing TMVR were identified using the 2016–2018 Nationwide Readmissions Database, and divided into Frail and Non-Frail groups. Frailty was defined using a derivative of the Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups frailty indicator. Generalized linear models were used to assess the association of frailty with in-hospital mortality, complications, nonhome discharge, hospitalization costs, length of stay, and non-elective readmission at 90 days. Average marginal effects were used to quantify the impact of frailty on predicted mortality.

Results

Of 18,791 patients undergoing TMVR, 11.6% were considered frail. The observed mortality rate for the overall cohort was 2.2%. After adjustment, frailty was associated with increased odds of in-hospital mortality (AOR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2–2.6), corresponding to an absolute increase in risk of mortality of 1.1%. Frailty was associated with a 2.7-day (95% CI 2.1–3.2) increase in postoperative LOS, and $18,300 (95% CI 14,400–22,200) increment in hospitalization costs. Frail patients had greater odds (4.4, 95% CI 3.6–5.4) of nonhome discharge but similar odds of non-elective 90-day readmission.

Conclusions

Frailty is independently associated with inferior short-term clinical outcomes and greater resource use following TMVR. Inclusion of frailty into existing risk models may better inform choice of therapy and shared decision-making.

Antithrombotic Therapy in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Interventions for Structural Heart Disease

Contemporary evidence supports device-based transcatheter interventions for the management of patients with structural heart disease. These procedures, which include aortic valve implantation, mitral or tricuspid valve repair/implantation, left atrial appendage occlusion, and patent foramen ovale closure, profoundly differ with respect to clinical indications and procedural aspects. Yet, patients undergoing transcatheter cardiac interventions require antithrombotic therapy before, during, or after the procedure to prevent thromboembolic events. However, these therapies are associated with an increased risk of bleeding complications. To date, challenges and controversies exist regarding balancing the risk of thrombotic and bleeding complications in these patients such that the optimal antithrombotic regimens to adopt in each specific procedure is still unclear. In this review, we summarize current evidence on antithrombotic therapies for device-based transcatheter interventions targeting structural heart disease and emphasize the importance of a tailored approach in these patients.

Temporal Changes in Mortality After Transcatheter and Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement: Retrospective Analysis of US Medicare Patients (2012-2019)

Background

The treatment of aortic stenosis is evolving rapidly. Pace of change in the care of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) differs. We sought to determine differences in temporal changes in 30‐day mortality, 30‐day readmission, and length of stay after TAVR and SAVR.

Methods and Results

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients treated in the United States between 2012 and 2019 using data from the Medicare Data Set Analytic File 100% Fee for Service database. We included consecutive patients enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B and aged ≥65 years who had SAVR or transfemoral TAVR. We defined 3 study cohorts, including all SAVR, isolated SAVR (without concomitant procedures), and elective isolated SAVR and TAVR. The primary end point was 30‐day mortality; secondary end points were 30‐day readmission and length of stay. Statistical models controlled for patient demographics, frailty measured by the Hospital Frailty Risk Score, and comorbidities measured by the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index (ECI). Cox proportional hazard models were developed with TAVR versus SAVR as the main covariates with a 2‐way interaction term with index year. We repeated these analyses restricted to full aortic valve replacement hospitals offering both SAVR and TAVR. The main study cohort included 245 269 patients with SAVR and 188 580 patients with TAVR, with mean±SD ages 74.3±6.0 years and 80.7±6.9 years, respectively, and 36.5% and 46.2% female patients, respectively. Patients with TAVR had higher ECI scores (6.4±3.6 versus 4.4±3) and were more frail (55.4% versus 33.5%). Total aortic valve replacement volumes increased 61% during the 7‐year span; TAVR volumes surpassed SAVR in 2017. The magnitude of mortality benefit associated with TAVR increased until 2016 in the main cohort (2012: hazard ratio [HR], 0.76 [95% CI, 0.67–0.86]; 2016: HR, 0.39 [95% CI, 0.36–0.43]); although TAVR continued to have lower mortality rates from 2017 to 2019, the magnitude of benefit over SAVR was attenuated. A similar pattern was seen with readmission, with a lower risk of readmission from 2012 to 2016 for patients with TAVR (2012: HR, 0.68 [95% CI, 0.63–0.73]; 2016: HR, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.41–0.45]) followed by a lesser difference from 2017 to 2019. Year over year, TAVR was associated with increasingly shorter lengths of stay compared with SAVR (2012: HR, 1.91 [95% CI, 1.84–1.98]; 2019: HR, 5.34 [95% CI, 5.22–5.45]). These results were consistent in full aortic valve replacement hospitals.

Conclusions

The rate of improvement in TAVR outpaced SAVR until 2016, with the recent presence of U‐shaped phenomena suggesting a narrowing gap between outcomes. Future longitudinal research is needed to determine the long‐term implications of lowering risk profiles across treatment options to guide case selection and clinical care.

Identification of Frailty Using a Claims-Based Frailty Index in the CoreValve Studies: Findings from the EXTEND-FRAILTY Study

Background

In aortic valve disease, the relationship between claims‐based frailty indices (CFIs) and validated measures of frailty constructed from in‐person assessments is unclear but may be relevant for retrospective ascertainment of frailty status when otherwise unmeasured.

Methods and Results

We linked adults aged ≥65 years in the US CoreValve Studies (linkage rate, 67%; mean age, 82.7±6.2 years, 43.1% women), to Medicare inpatient claims, 2011 to 2015. The Johns Hopkins CFI, validated on the basis of the Fried index, was generated for each study participant, and the association between CFI tertile and trial outcomes was evaluated as part of the EXTEND‐FRAILTY substudy. Among 2357 participants (64.9% frail), higher CFI tertile was associated with greater impairments in nutrition, disability, cognition, and self‐rated health. The primary outcome of all‐cause mortality at 1 year occurred in 19.3%, 23.1%, and 31.3% of those in tertiles 1 to 3, respectively (tertile 2 versus 1: hazard ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.98–1.51; P=0.07; tertile 3 versus 1: hazard ratio, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.41–2.12; P<0.001). Secondary outcomes (bleeding, major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, and hospitalization) were more frequent with increasing CFI tertile and persisted despite adjustment for age, sex, New York Heart Association class, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons risk score.

Conclusions

In linked Medicare and CoreValve study data, a CFI based on the Fried index consistently identified individuals with worse impairments in frailty, disability, cognitive dysfunction, and nutrition and a higher risk of death, hospitalization, bleeding, and major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events, independent of age and risk category. While not a surrogate for validated metrics of frailty using in‐person assessments, use of this CFI to ascertain frailty status among patients with aortic valve disease may be valid and prognostically relevant information when otherwise not measured.

Clinical Frailty Score vs Hospital Frailty Risk Score for predicting mortality and other adverse outcome in hospitalised patients with COVID-19: Spanish case series

OBJECTIVES

Frailty can be used as a predictor of adverse outcomes in people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of the study was to analyse the prognostic value of two different frailty scores in patients hospitalised for COVID-19.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included adult (≥18 years) inpatients with COVID-19 and took place from 3 March to 2 May 2020. Patients were categorised by Clinical Frailty Score (CFS) and Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS). The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes were tocilizumab treatment, length of hospital stay, admission in intensive care unit (ICU) and need for invasive mechanical ventilation. Results were analysed by multivariable logistic regression and expressed as odds ratios (ORs), adjusting for age, sex, kidney function and comorbidity.

RESULTS

Of the 290 included patients, 54 were frail according to the CFS (≥5 points; prevalence 18.6%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 14.4-23.7) vs 65 by HFRS (≥5 points; prevalence: 22.4%, 95% CI 17.8-27.7). Prevalence of frailty increased with age according to both measures: 50-64 years, CFS 1.9% vs HFRS 12.3%; 65-79 years, CFS 31.5% vs HFRS 40.0%; and ≥80 years, CFS 66.7% vs HFRS 40.0% (P < .001). CFS-defined frailty was independently associated with risk of death (OR 3.67, 95% CI 1.49-9.04) and less treatment with tocilizumab (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.08-0.93). HFRS-defined frailty was independently associated with length of hospital stay over 10 days (OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.53-5.44), ICU admission (OR 4.18, 95% CI 1.84-9.52) and invasive mechanical ventilation (OR 5.93, 95% CI 2.33-15.10).

CONCLUSION

In the spring 2020 wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, CFS-defined frailty was an independent predictor for death, while frailty as measured by the HFRS was associated with length of hospital stay over 10 days, ICU admission and use of invasive mechanical ventilation.

Racial and Sex Disparities in Anticoagulation After Electrical Cardioversion for Atrial Fibrillation and Flutter

Background Anticoagulation is indicated for 4 weeks after cardioversion in patients with atrial fibrillation/flutter. We sought to examine whether there is evidence of sex or racial disparity in anticoagulant prescription following cardioversion, and whether postcardioversion anticoagulation affects outcomes. Methods and Results We identified a representative sample of Medicare patients who underwent elective electric cardioversion in an outpatient setting from 2015 to 2017. We identified patients who had an anticoagulant prescription for 3 months after the cardioversion date. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess factors associated with a prescription of an anticoagulant after cardioversion. Cox regression analysis was used to test association of anticoagulation with a composite end point of 90-day mortality, ischemic stroke, or arterial embolism. The final study cohort included 7860 patients. Overall, 5510 patients (70.1%) received any anticoagulation following cardioversion, while 2350 (29.9%) did not. Patients who did not receive anticoagulation were younger, with a lower burden of most comorbidities. Patients were less likely to receive anticoagulation if they had dementia or atrial flutter, while patients with valvular heart disease, obesity, heart failure, peripheral vascular or coronary disease, or hypertension were more likely to receive anticoagulation. Female sex (adjusted odds ratio, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75-0.92; P<0.001), Black and Hispanic race (adjusted odds ratio, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.38-0.65; and odds ratio, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.41-0.75, respectively; P<0.001) were independently associated with lower probability of anticoagulant prescription. Postcardioversion anticoagulation was associated with lower risk of the composite end point (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.27-0.52; P<0.001). Conclusions Racial and sex disparities exist in anticoagulant prescription after outpatient elective cardioversion for atrial fibrillation.

Physical components of frailty in predicting mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI)

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates physical, nutritional and psychological components of frailty in predicting postoperative mortality after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

METHODS

A single centre retrospective observational study was conducted from July 2015 until January 2019. Psychological, nutritional and physical components of frailty were measured. Sarcopenia was defined as having both gait speed and grip strength under the threshold. The primary endpoint was the cumulative all-cause 1-year mortality. Secondary endpoint was 30 days all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 125 patients were included. The primary endpoint was observed in 18 patients (14.4%). Five patients died within the first 30 days (4.0%). None of the frailty tests were correlated with early mortality. However, at one year, the nutritional components albumin and Mini Nutritional Assessment - short form (MNA-SF) and the physical components gait speed, chair stand test, TUG, SPPB, EFT and sarcopenia were associated with increased mortality after TAVI. A significant difference in mortality was present if stratified for MNA-SF (log-rank p = .008), sarcopenia (log-rank p < .001), SPPB (log-rank p = .003) and EFT score (log-rank p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Mainly nutritional and physical components of frailty were associated with 1-year mortality after TAVI.

Outcomes Following Aortic Stenosis Treatment (Transcatheter vs Surgical Replacement) in Women vs Men (From a Nationwide Analysis)

Gender-differences in survival following transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) have been suggested. The objective of this study was to analyze outcomes following TAVR according to gender and to compare outcomes between TAVR and SAVR in women, at a nationwide level. Based on the French administrative hospital-discharge database, the study collected information for all consecutive patients treated with TAVR and SAVR between 2010 and 2019. Outcomes were analyzed according to gender and propensity score matching was used for the analysis of outcomes. In total 71,794 patients were identified in the database. After matching on baseline characteristics, we analyzed 12,336 women and 12,336 men treated with TAVR. In a second matched analysis, we compared 9,297 women treated with TAVR and 9,297 women treated with SAVR. Long term follow-up showed lower risk of all-cause death (12.7% vs 14.8%, hazard ratio (HR) 0.85, 95% CI 0.81 to 0.90) in women than men. Although the difference in cardiovascular death remained non-significant (5.8% vs 6.0%, HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.05), non-cardiovascular death was less frequent in women than in men following TAVR (6.9% vs 8.8% HR 0.78, 95%CI 0.72 to 0.84).When TAVR was compared with SAVR in women, long-term follow-up with TAVR showed higher rates of all-cause death (11.2% vs 6.5%, HR 1.91, 95%CI 1.78 to 2.05), cardiovascular death (5.0% vs 3.2%, HR 1.44, 95%CI 1.30 to 1.59), and non-cardiovascular death (6.2% vs 3.3%, HR 2.48, 95% CI 2.25 to 2.72). In conclusion, we observed that women undergoing TAVR have lower long-term all-cause mortality as compared with TAVR in men, driven by non-cardiovascular mortality. SAVR was associated with lower rates of long-term cardiovascular adverse events in women as compared with TAVR.

Relation between Modified Body Mass Index and Adverse Outcomes after Aortic Valve Implantation

We aimed to investigate the relationship of modified body mass index (mBMI), the product of BMI and serum albumin, with survival after transcatheter (TAVI) and surgical aortic valve implantation (SAVI). Frailty is associated with poor outcomes after TAVI and SAVI for severe aortic stenosis (AS). However, clinical frailty is not routinely measured in clinical practice due to the cumbersome nature of its assessment. Modified BMI is an easily measurable surrogate for clinical frailty that is associated with survival in elderly cohorts with non-valvular heart disease. We utilized individual patient-level data from a pooled database of the Placement of Aortic Transcatheter Valves (PARTNER) trials from the PARNTER1, PARTNER2 and S3 cohorts. We estimated cumulative mortality at 1 year for quartiles of mBMI with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared them with the log-rank test. We performed Cox proportional hazards modeling to assess the association of mBMI strata with 1-year mortality adjusting for baseline clinical characteristics. A total of 6593 patients who underwent TAVI or SAVI (mean age 83±7.3 years, 57% male) were included. mBMI was independently associated with all-cause one-year mortality with the lowest mBMI quartile as most predictive (HR 2.33, 95% CI 1.80-3.02, p < 0.0001). Notably, mBMI performed as well as clinical frailty index to predict 1-year mortality in this cohort. In conclusion, modified BMI predicts 1-year survival after both TAVI and SAVI. Given that it performed similar to the clinical frailty index, it may be used as a clinical tool for assessment of frailty prior to valve implantation.

Frailty and the Effect of Catheter Ablation in the Elderly Population With Atrial Fibrillation - A Real-World Analysis

BACKGROUND

It is unclear whether catheter ablation is beneficial for frail elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). This study evaluated the effect of ablation on outcomes in frail elderly patients with AF.

METHODS AND RESULTS

From the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, 194,928 newly diagnosed AF patients were treated with ablation or medical therapy (rhythm or rate control) between 2005 and 2015. Among these patients, the study included 1,818 (ablation; n=119) frail and 1,907 (ablation; n=230) non-frail elderly (≥75 years) patients. Propensity score matching was used to correct for differences between groups. During 28 months (median) follow up, the risk of all-cause death, composite outcome (all-cause death, heart failure admission, stroke/systemic embolism, and sudden cardiac arrest), and each outcome did not change after ablation in frail elderly patients. However, in non-frail elderly patients, ablation was associated with a lower risk of all-cause death (3.5 and 6.2 per 100 person-years; hazard ratio [HR] 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30-0.79; P=0.004), and composite outcome (6.9 and 11.2 per 100 person-years; HR 0.54; 95% CI 0.38-0.75; P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Ablation may be associated with a lower risk of death and composite outcome in non-frail elderly, but the beneficial effect of ablation was not significant in frail elderly patients with AF. The effect of frailty on the outcome of ablation should be evaluated in further studies.

A novel, comprehensive tool for predicting 30-day mortality after surgical aortic valve replacement

OBJECTIVES

We sought to develop and validate a novel risk assessment tool for the prediction of 30-day mortality after surgical aortic valve replacement incorporating a patient's frailty.

METHODS

Overall, 4718 patients from the multicentre study OBSERVANT was divided into derivation (n = 3539) and validation (n = 1179) cohorts. A stepwise logistic regression procedure and a criterion based on Akaike information criteria index were used to select variables associated with 30-day mortality. The performance of the regression model was compared with that of European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation (EuroSCORE) II.

RESULTS

At 30 days, 90 (2.54%) and 35 (2.97%) patients died in the development and validation data sets, respectively. Age, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, concomitant coronary revascularization, frailty stratified according to the Geriatric Status Scale, urgent procedure and estimated glomerular filtration rate were independent predictors of 30-day mortality. The estimated OBS AVR score showed higher discrimination (area under curve 0.76 vs 0.70, P < 0.001) and calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow P = 0.847 vs P = 0.130) than the EuroSCORE II. The higher performances of the OBS AVR score were confirmed by the decision curve, net reclassification index (0.46, P = 0.011) and integrated discrimination improvement (0.02, P < 0.001) analyses. Five-year mortality increased significantly along increasing deciles of the OBS AVR score (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The OBS AVR risk score showed high discrimination and calibration abilities in predicting 30-day mortality after surgical aortic valve replacement. The addition of a simplified frailty assessment into the model seems to contribute to an improved predictive ability over the EuroSCORE II. The OBS AVR risk score showed a significant association with long-term mortality.

Comparison of Transcatheter and Open Mitral Valve Repair Among Patients With Mitral Regurgitation

In 2013, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVr) device for degenerative mitral regurgitation for patients at prohibitive surgical risk. To better understand contemporary utilization trends and outcomes, we reviewed hospitalizations, identified using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes, in which the patient underwent TMVr or mitral valve repair (MVr) with a diagnosis of mitral regurgitation, without stenosis, from the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample from 2014 to 2017. We included 10,020 hospitalizations in which the patient underwent TMVr and 5845 in which the patient underwent MVr and assessed trends in demographic characteristics, patient comorbidities, total hospital charges, and outcomes. Transcatheter mitral valve repair experienced exponential growth, increasing from 150 to 5115 over the study period (P<.001 for trend), whereas MVr grew to a lesser degree. The median length of stay for TMVr decreased from 4 to 2 days; mortality declined from 3.3% to 1.6% (P<.001 for both). Both TMVr and MVr rates of discharge home increased over the study period. Total charges for TMVr increased from $149,582 to $178,109, whereas those for MVr increased to a lesser degree, from $149,426 to $157,146 (P<.001 for both). Discharge disposition, length of stay, and in-hospital mortality all exhibited favorable trends for both procedures. Caution must be exercised in direct comparisons between procedures as they target somewhat different populations. With expanded indications for TMVr, we anticipate further increases in procedural volume, although the effect on MVr remains unclear.

Analysis of Frailty in Geriatric Patients as a Prognostic Factor in Endovascular Treated Patients with Large Vessel Occlusion Strokes

Frailty is associated with an increased risk of adverse health-care outcomes in elderly patients. The Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) has been developed and proven to be capable of identifying patients which are at high risk of adverse outcomes. We aimed to investigate whether frail patients also face adverse outcomes after experiencing an endovascular treated large vessel occlusion stroke (LVOS). In this retrospective observational cohort study, we analyzed patients ≥ 65 years that were admitted during 2015-2019 with LVOS and endovascular treatment. Primary outcomes were mortality and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) after three months. Regression models were used to determine the impact of frailty. A total of 318 patients were included in the cohort. The median HFRS was 1.6 (IQR 4.8). A total of 238 (75.1%) patients fulfilled the criteria for a low-frailty risk with a HFRS < 5.72 (22.7%) for moderate-frailty risk with an HFRS from 5-15 and 7 (2.2%) patients for a high-frailty risk. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that the HFRS was associated with an increased mortality after 90 days (CI (95%) 1.001 to 1.236; OR 1.112) and a worse mRS (CI (95%) 1.004 to 1.270; OR 1.129). We identified frailty as an impact factor on functional outcome and mortality in patients undergoing thrombectomy in LVOS.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Preoperative Frailty Instruments Derived From Electronic Health Data

BACKGROUND

Frailty is a strong predictor of adverse outcomes in the perioperative period. Given the increasing availability of electronic medical data, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis with primary objectives of describing available frailty instruments applied to electronic data and synthesizing their prognostic value. Our secondary objectives were to assess the construct validity of frailty instruments that have been applied to perioperative electronic data and the feasibility of electronic frailty assessment.

METHODS

Following protocol registration, a peer-reviewed search strategy was applied to Medline, Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Cochrane databases, and the Comprehensive Index to Nursing and Allied Health literature from inception to December 31, 2019. All stages of the review were completed in duplicate. The primary outcome was mortality; secondary outcomes included nonhome discharge, health care costs, and length of stay. Effect estimates adjusted for baseline illness, sex, age, procedure, and urgency were of primary interest; unadjusted and adjusted estimates were pooled using random-effects models where appropriate or narratively synthesized. Risk of bias was assessed.

RESULTS

Ninety studies were included; 83 contributed to the meta-analysis. Frailty was defined using 22 different instruments. In adjusted data, frailty identified from electronic data using any instrument was associated with a 3.57-fold increase in the odds of mortality (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.68-4.75), increased odds of institutional discharge (odds ratio [OR], 2.40; 95% CI, 1.99-2.89), and increased costs (ratio of means, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.46-1.63). Most instruments were not multidimensional, head-to-head comparisons were lacking, and no feasibility data were reported.

CONCLUSIONS

Frailty status derived from electronic data provides prognostic value as it is associated with adverse outcomes, even after adjustment for typical risk factors. However, future research is required to evaluate multidimensional instruments and their head-to-head performance and to assess their feasibility and clinical impact.

Frailty Is a Risk Factor for Postoperative Mortality in Patients With Cirrhosis Undergoing Diverse Major Surgeries

With a rising burden of cirrhosis surgeries, understanding risk factors for postoperative mortality is more salient than ever. The role of baseline frailty has not been assessed in this context. We evaluated the association between patient frailty and postoperative risk among diverse patients with cirrhosis and determined if frailty improves prognostication of cirrhosis surgical risk scores. This was a retrospective cohort study of U.S. veterans with cirrhosis identified between 2008 and 2016 who underwent nontransplant major surgery. Frailty was ascertained using the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS). Cox regression analysis was used to investigate the impact of patient frailty on postoperative mortality. Logistic regression was used to identify incremental changes in discrimination for postoperative mortality when frailty was added to the risk prediction models, including the Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD), MELD-sodium (MELD-Na), Child-Turcotte-Pugh (CTP), Mayo Risk Score (MRS), and Veterans Outcomes and Costs Associated With Liver Disease (VOCAL)-Penn. A total of 804 cirrhosis surgeries were identified. The majority of patients (48.5%) had high-risk frailty at baseline (HFRS >15). In adjusted Cox regression models, categories of increasing frailty scores were associated with poorer postoperative survival. For example, intermediate-risk frailty (HFRS 5-15) conferred a 1.77-fold increased hazard relative to low-risk frailty (HFRS, <5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-2.95; P = 0.03). High-risk frailty demonstrated a similarly increased hazard (hazard ratio, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.05-2.88; P = 0.03), suggesting a threshold effect of frailty on postoperative mortality. The incorporation of frailty improved discrimination of MELD, MELD-Na, and CTP for postoperative mortality, but did not do so for the MRS or VOCAL-Penn score. Patient frailty was an additional important predictor of cirrhosis surgical risk. The incorporation of preoperative frailty assessments may help to risk stratify patients, especially in settings where the MELD-Na and CTP are commonly applied.

Transcatheter Versus Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients With Rheumatic Aortic Stenosis

BACKGROUND

Patients with rheumatic aortic stenosis (AS) were excluded from transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) trials.

OBJECTIVES

The authors sought to examine outcomes with TAVR versus surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with rheumatic AS, and versus TAVR in nonrheumatic AS.

METHODS

The authors identified Medicare beneficiaries who underwent TAVR or SAVR from October 2015 to December 2017, and then identified patients with rheumatic AS using prior validated International Classification of Diseases, Version 10 codes. Overlap propensity score weighting analysis was used to adjust for measured confounders. The primary study outcome was all-cause mortality. Multiple secondary outcomes were also examined.

RESULTS

The final study cohort included 1,159 patients with rheumatic AS who underwent aortic valve replacement (SAVR, n = 554; TAVR, n = 605), and 88,554 patients with nonrheumatic AS who underwent TAVR. Patients in the SAVR group were younger and with lower prevalence of most comorbidities and frailty scores. After median follow-up of 19 months (interquartile range: 13 to 26 months), there was no difference in all-cause mortality with TAVR versus SAVR (11.2 vs. 7.0 per 100 person-year; adjusted hazard ratio: 1.53; 95% confidence interval: 0.84 to 2.79; p = 0.2). Compared with TAVR in nonrheumatic AS, TAVR for rheumatic AS was associated with similar mortality (15.2 vs. 17.7 deaths per 100 person-years (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.87; 95% confidence interval: 0.68 to 1.09; p = 0.2) after median follow-up of 17 months (interquartile range: 11 to 24 months). None of the rheumatic TAVR patients, <11 SAVR patients, and 242 nonrheumatic TAVR patients underwent repeat aortic valve replacement (124 redo-TAVR and 118 SAVR) at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with SAVR, TAVR could represent a viable and possibly durable option for patients with rheumatic AS.

Frailty Status and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Octogenarians Following Transcatheter or Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement

BACKGROUND

Frailty status and patient-reported outcomes are especially pertinent in octogenarians following transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) to guide treatment decisions and promote patient-centred care.

AIM

We aimed to determine if frailty changed 6 months after aortic valve replacement (AVR) in octogenarians, and to describe changes in self-rated health according to frailty status in patients who underwent TAVI or SAVR.

METHOD

In a prospective cohort study, frailty and self-rated health were measured one day prior to and 6 months after AVR. Frailty status was measured with the Study of Osteoporotic Fracture index. Self-rated health was measured comprehensively with the disease-specific Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, the generic Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-12 questionnaire (SF-12), and two global questions from The World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Abbreviated.

RESULTS

Data were available for 143 consecutive patients (mean age 83±2.7 years, 57% women; 45% underwent TAVI). At baseline, 34% were robust, 27% prefrail, and 39% frail. Overall, there was no change in the distribution of frailty status 6 months after baseline (p=0.13). However, on an individual level 65 patients changed frailty status after AVR (40 patients improved and 25 declined). Improvement in frailty status was common in prefrail (33%; n=13) and frail patients (48%; n=27). Patients had improved self-rated health after AVR, with significant differences between frailty states both at baseline (SF-12 physical: 37.4 [robust], 33.1 [prefrail], 31.6 [frail], p=0.03); SF-12 mental: 51.9 [robust], 50.8 [prefrail], 44.5 [frail], p<0.001); and at the 6-month follow-up (SF-12 physical: 45.4 [robust], 38.3 [prefrail], 32.1 [frail], p<0.001); SF-12 mental: 54.9 [robust], 49.6 [prefrail], 46.8 [frail], p=0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Advanced treatment performed in a high-risk population allowed people to improve their self-rated health. Although frailty is associated with poor self-rated health, frailty status does not equal negative outcomes. The frail patients were those who improved most in self-rated physical and mental health. They had the lowest baseline self-rated health scores and had therefore the most to gain.

Measurement and prognosis of frail patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Our objectives were to review the literature to identify frailty instruments in use for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) recipients and synthesise prognostic data from these studies, in order to inform clinical management of frail patients undergoing TAVI.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed the literature published in 2006 or later. We included studies of patients with aortic stenosis, diagnosed as frail, who underwent a TAVI procedure that reported mortality or clinical outcomes. We categorised the frailty instruments and reported on the prevalence of frailty in each study. We summarised the frequency of clinical outcomes and pooled outcomes from multiple studies. We explored heterogeneity and performed subgroup analysis, where possible. We also used Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) to assess the overall certainty of the estimates.

RESULTS

Of 49 included studies, 21 used single-dimension measures to assess frailty, 3 used administrative data-based measures, and 25 used multidimensional measures. Prevalence of frailty ranged from 5.67% to 90.07%. Albumin was the most commonly used single-dimension frailty measure and the Fried or modified Fried phenotype were the most commonly used multidimensional measures. Meta-analyses of studies that used either the Fried or modified Fried phenotype showed a 30-day mortality of 7.86% (95% CI 5.20% to 11.70%) and a 1-year mortality of 26.91% (95% CI 21.50% to 33.11%). The GRADE system suggests very low certainty of the respective estimates.

CONCLUSIONS

Frailty instruments varied across studies, leading to a wide range of frailty prevalence estimates for TAVI recipients and substantial heterogeneity. The results provide clinicians, patients and healthcare administrators, with potentially useful information on the prognosis of frail patients undergoing TAVI. This review highlights the need for standardisation of frailty measurement to promote consistency.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42018090597.

The use of linked routine data to optimise calculation of the Hospital Frailty Risk Score on the basis of previous hospital admissions: a retrospective observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

The Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) has been widely but inconsistently applied in published studies, particularly in how diagnostic information recorded in previous hospital admissions is used in its construction. We aimed to assess how many previous admissions should be considered when constructing the HFRS and the influence of frailty risk on long length of stay, in-hospital mortality, and 30-day readmission.

METHODS

This is a retrospective observational cohort study of patients aged 75 years or older who had at least one emergency admission to any of 49 hospital sites in the Yorkshire and Humber region of England, UK. We constructed multiple versions of the HFRS for each patient, each form incorporating diagnostic data from progressively more previous admissions in its construction within a 1-year or 2-year window. We assessed the ability of each form of the HFRS to predict long length of stay (>10 days), in-hospital death, and 30-day readmission.

FINDINGS

Between April 1, 2013, and March 31, 2017, 282 091 patients had 675 155 hospital admissions. Regression analyses assessing the different constructions of HFRS showed that the form constructed with diagnostic information recorded in the current and previous two admissions within the preceding 2 years performed best for predicting all three outcomes. Under this construction, 263 432 (39·0%) of 674 615 patient admissions were classified as having low frailty risk, for whom 33 333 (12·7%) had a long length of stay, 10 145 (3·9%) died in hospital, and 45 226 (17·2%) were readmitted within 30 days. By contrast with those patients with low frailty risk, for those with intermediate frailty risk, the probability was 2·5-times higher (95% CI 2·4 to 2·6) for long length of stay, 2·17-times higher (2·1 to 2·2) for in-hospital death, and 0·7% higher (0·5 to 1) for readmission. For patients with high frailty risk, the probability was 4·3-times higher (4·2 to 4·5) for long length of stay, 2·48-times higher (2·4 to 2·6) for in-hospital death, and -1% (-1·2 to -0·5) lower for readmission than those with low frailty risk. The intermediate and high frailty risk categories were more important predictors of long length of stay than any of the other rich set of control variables included in our analysis. These categories also proved to be important predictors of in-hospital mortality, with only the Charlson Comorbidity Index offering greater predictive power.

INTERPRETATION

We recommend constructing the HFRS with diagnostic information from the current admission and from the previous two admissions in the preceding 2 years. This HFRS form was a powerful predictor of long length of stay and in-hospital mortality, but less so of emergency readmissions.

FUNDING

National Institute of Health Research.

Safety, efficacy and impact on frailty of mini-invasive radial balloon aortic valvuloplasty

OBJECTIVE

The study was designed to: (1) confirm safety and feasibility of mini-invasive radial balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV); (2) assess its impact in terms of quality of life and frailty; and (3) evaluate whether changes in frailty after BAV are associated with death in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

METHODS

330 patients undergoing BAV in 16 Italian centres were prospectively included. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of major and minor Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC)-2 bleeding. Secondary endpoints were scales of quality of life, frailty, evaluated at baseline and 30 days, and their relationship with the occurrence of all-cause death.

RESULTS

BAV was performed by radial access in 314 (95%) patients. No VARC-2 major and six (1.8%) VARC-2 minor bleedings occurred in the study population. Quality of life, as well as frailty status, significantly improved 30 days after BAV. At 1 year, patients undergoing TAVI with baseline essential frailty toolset (EFT) <3 or achieving an EFT <3 after BAV had a comparable occurrence of all-cause death (15% vs 19%, p=0.58). On the contrary, patients with EFT ≥3 at 30 days despite BAV showed the worst prognosis (all-cause death: 40% vs 15% and 19%, p=0.006 and p=0.05, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Mini-invasive radial BAV is safe, feasible and associated with a low rate of vascular complications. Patients improving EFT 30 days after BAV showed a favourable outcome after TAVI.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03087552.

Frailty predicts adverse outcomes in older patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). From the National Inpatient Sample

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to study the impact of frailty on the outcome of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures.

METHODS

The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database was queried for all patients aged ≥65 years who underwent a TAVR procedure during the years 2016-2017. Frailty was measured using a previously validated Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) scoring system. The score is ICD-10 code based; thus, it can be calculated from an administrative database. Study outcomes were in-hospital all-cause mortality, peri-procedural complications, length of stay, and total cost. Outcomes were modeled using logistic regression for binary outcomes and generalized linear regression for continuous outcomes.

RESULTS

There were 84,750 patients included in the study. These patients were divided into low-risk (61,050), intermediate-risk (22,955), and high-risk (744), based on average frailty index scores of 2, 7, and 16.8, respectively. On multivariable analysis, the HFRS correlated with increased odds for mortality with an adjusted odd ratio (a-OR) of 1.25 (95% CI: 1.22-1.29, p < 0.001), myocardial infarction [a-OR 1.10 (95% CI: 1.07-1.13, p < 0.001)], pericardiocentesis [a-OR 1.16 (95% CI: 1.12-1.20, p < 0.001)], pacemaker insertion [a-OR 1.06 (95% CI: 1.04-1.08, p < 0.001)], blood transfusion [a-OR 1.14 (95% CI: 1.11-1.16, p < 0.001)], vascular complications [a-OR 1.05 (95% CI: 1.00-1.09, p = 0.03)], longer length of stay [a-MR 1.10 (95% CI: 1.10-1.11, p < 0.001)] and higher cost [a-MR: 1.04 (95% CI: 1.03-1.04, p < 0.001)].

CONCLUSION

The HFRS can be utilized in the risk stratification of older patients undergoing TAVR.

Patient Frailty Is Independently Associated With the Risk of Hospitalization for Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure

There is significant interest in identifying risk factors associated with acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). In transplant candidates, frailty predicts wait-list mortality and posttransplant outcomes. However, the impact of frailty on ACLF development and mortality is unknown. This was a retrospective study of US veterans with cirrhosis identified between 2008 and 2016. First hospitalizations were characterized as ACLF or non-ACLF admissions. Prehospitalization patient frailty was ascertained using a validated score based on administrative coding data. We used logistic regression to investigate the impact of an increasing frailty score on the odds of ACLF hospitalization and short-term ACLF mortality. Cox regression was used to analyze the association between frailty and longterm survival from hospitalization. We identified 16,561 cirrhosis hospitalizations over a median follow-up of 4.19 years (interquartile range, 2.47-6.34 years). In adjusted models, increasing frailty score was associated with significantly increased odds of ACLF hospitalization versus non-ACLF hospitalization (odds ratio, 1.03 per point; 95% CI 1.02-1.03; P < 0.001). By contrast, frailty score was not associated with ACLF 28- or 90-day mortality (P = 0.13 and P = 0.33, respectively). In an adjusted Cox analysis of all hospitalizations, increasing frailty scores were associated with poorer longterm survival from the time of hospitalization (hazard ratio, 1.02 per 5 points; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.03; P = 0.004). Frailty increases the likelihood of ACLF hospitalization among patients with cirrhosis, but it does not impact short-term ACLF mortality. These findings have implications for clinicians caring for frail outpatients with cirrhosis, including tailored follow-up, risk mitigation strategies, and possible expedited transplant evaluation.

Early Adverse Impact of Transfusion After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: A Propensity-Matched Comparison From the TRITAVI Registry

BACKGROUND

There is no consensus on the benefit of red blood cell (RBC) transfusion after transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

METHODS

The multicenter Transfusion Requirements in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TRITAVI) registry retrospectively included patients after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement; propensity score-matching identified pairs of patients with and without RBC transfusion. The primary end point was 30-day mortality; nonfatal myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident, and stage 2 to 3 acute kidney injury at 30 days were secondary end points. We repeated propensity score-matching according to the hemoglobin nadir, hemoglobin drop, and in the subgroup of uncomplicated patients, without major vascular complications or major bleeding.

RESULTS

Among 2587 patients, RBC transfusion was administered in 421 cases (16%). The primary end point occurred in 104 (4.0%) patients, myocardial infarction in 9 (0.4%), cerebrovascular accident in 38 (1.5%), and acute kidney injury in 125 (4.8%) cases. In the 842 propensity-matched patients, RBC transfusion was associated with increased mortality (hazard ratio, 2.07 [95% CI, 1.06-4.05]; P=0.034) and acute kidney injury (hazard ratio, 4.35 [95% CI, 2.21-8.55]; P<0.001). Interaction testing between RBC transfusion and mortality was not statistically significant in the above-mentioned subgroups, and such association was not documented in the corresponding propensity score-matched cohorts. In the multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model, major vascular complications (P=0.044), major bleeding (P=0.041), and RBC transfusion (P=0.048) were independent correlates of 30-day mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

RBC transfusion correlates with increased mortality and acute kidney injury early after transcatheter aortic valve replacement and is an independent predictor of 30-day mortality, irrespective of periprocedural major bleeding and vascular complications. Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT03740425.

The role of Frailty on Adverse Outcomes Among Older Patients with COVID-19

BACKGROUND

Diagnosis and screening of frailty, a condition characterized by an increased vulnerability to adverse outcomes of COVID-19, has emerged as an essential clinical tool which is strongly recommended by healthcare providers concerned with hospitalized elderly population. The data showing the role of frailty in patients infected with COVID-19 is needed.

METHODS

This was a nationwide cohort study conducted at all hospitals in Turkey. All COVID-19 hospitalized patients (≥ 65 years) were included. Patients who were alive and not discharged up to July 20, 2020, were excluded. The frailty was assessed by using the "Hospital Frailty Risk Score" (HFRS). Patients were classified into three risk groups of frailty based on previously validated cut points as low (<5 points), intermediate (5-15 points), and high (>15 points). Additionally, patients who had the HFRS of ≥5 were defined as frail. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality rates by frailty group.

RESULTS

Between March 11, 2020, and June 22, 2020, a total of 18,234 COVID-19 patients from all of 81 provinces of Turkey were included. Totally, 12,295 (67.4%) patients were defined as frail (HFRS of >5) of which 2,801 (15.4%) patients were categorized in the highest level of frailty (HFRS of >15). Observed in-hospital mortality rates were 697 (12.0%), 1,751 (18.2%) and 867 (31.0%) in low, intermediate and high hospital frailty risk, respectively (p<0.001). Compared with low HFRS (<5), the adjusted odds ratios for in-hospital mortality were 1.482 (1.334-1.646) for intermediate HFRS (5-15) and 2.084; 95% CI, 1.799-2.413 for high HFRS (>15).

CONCLUSIONS

As a claims-based frailty model, the HFRS provides clinicians and health systems, a standardized tool for an effective detection and grading of frailty in patients in COVID-19. A frailty-based tailored management of the older population may provide a more accurate risk categorization for both therapeutic and preventive strategies.

Association between frailty and self-reported health following heart valve surgery

Background

Knowledge about the association between frailty and self-reported health among patients undergoing heart valve surgery remains sparse. Thus, the objectives were to I) describe changes in self-reported health at different time points according to frailty status, and to II) investigate the association between frailty status at discharge and poor self-reported health four weeks after discharge among patients undergoing heart valve surgery.

Methods

In a prospective cohort study, consecutive patients undergoing heart valve surgery, including transapical/transaortic valve procedures were included. Frailty was measured using the Fried score, and self-reported health using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire (KCCQ) and the EuroQoL-5 Dimensions 5-Levels Health Status Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L).To investigate the association between frailty and self-reported health, multivariable logistic regression models were used. Analyses were adjusted for sex, age, surgical risk evaluation (EuroScore) and procedure and presented as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

Frailty was assessed at discharge in 288 patients (median age 71, 69% men); 51 patients (18%) were frail. In the multivariable analyses, frailty at discharge remained significantly associated with poor self-reported health at four weeks, OR (95% CI): EQ-5D-5L Index 3.38 (1.51-7.52), VAS 2.41 (1.13-5.14), and KCCQ 2.84 (1.35-5.97).

Conclusion

Frailty is present at discharge in 18% of patients undergoing heart valve surgery, and being frail is associated with poor self-reported health at four weeks of follow-up. This supports a clinical need to address the unique risk of frail patients among heart valve teams broadly, and not only to measure frailty as a marker of operative risk.

The Association of Economic Outcome and Geriatric Syndromes among Older Adults with Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR)

BACKGROUND

The association of geriatric syndromes and economic outcomes among patients who are undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) remains unknown.

METHODS AND RESULTS

A retrospective observational study using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2011 to 2014 was conducted with 7078 patients who were 65 years or older and underwent TAVR. The average hospital cost was US$58 703 (± SD 29 777) and length of stay (LOS) was 8.1 days (±7.20). The rates of delirium, dementia, and frailty were 8.0%, 6.1%, and 10.5%, respectively. From a multivariable generalized linear regression, delirium increased the cost by 31.5% (95% CI 25.41~37.92) and LOS by 70.3% (95% CI 60.20~83.38). Frailty increased the cost by 7.4% (95% CI 3.44~11.53) and the LOS by 22.6% (95% CI 15.15~30.55). Dementia had no significant association with either outcome. When the interactions of the geriatric syndromes were tested for association with the outcomes, delirium in the absence of dementia but presence of frailty showed the strongest association with cost (increase by 45.1%, 95% CI 26.45~66.45), and delirium in the absence of both dementia and frailty showed the strongest association with LOS (increase by 74.5%, 95% CI 62.71~87.13). When the average hospital cost and LOS were predicted using the model with interaction terms, patients with delirium and frailty (but without dementia) had the highest value (total hospital cost US$86 503 and LOS 14.9 days).

CONCLUSION

Among TAVR patients, delirium was significantly associated with increased hospital cost and LOS, and the association was significantly higher in the absence of dementia. The results of this study will be a great asset for health care providers and administrators in planning for efficient care strategy to lower health care expenditure in the hospital for older adults who underwent TAVR.

Futility Risk Model for Predicting Outcome After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation

Risk-benefit assessment for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is still a matter of debate. We aimed to identify patients with a bad outcome within 1 year after TAVI, and to develop a Futile TAVI Simple score (FTS). Based on the administrative hospital-discharge database, all consecutive patients treated with percutaneous TAVI in France between 2010 and 2018 were included. A prediction model was derived and validated for 1-year all-cause death after TAVI (considered as futility) by using split-sample validation: 20,443 patients were included in the analysis (mean age 83 ± 7 years). 7,039 deaths were recorded (yearly incidence rate 15.5%), among which 3,702 (53%) occurred in first year after TAVI procedure. In the derivation cohort (n = 10,221), the final logistic regression model included male sex, history of hospital stay with heart failure, history of pulmonary oedema, atrial fibrillation, previous stroke, vascular disease, renal disease, liver disease, pulmonary disease, anaemia, history of cancer, metastasis, depression and denutrition. The area under the curve (AUC) for the FTS was 0.674 (95%CI 0.660 to 0.687) in the derivation cohort and 0.651 (95%CI 0.637 to 0.665) in the validation cohort (n = 10,222). The Hosmer-Lemeshow test had a p-value of 0.87 suggesting an accurate calibration. The FTS score outperformed EuroSCORE II, Charlson comorbidity index and frailty index for identifying futility. Based on FTS score, 7% of these patients were categorized at high risk with a 1-year mortality at 43%. In conclusion, the FTS score, established from a large nationwide cohort of patients treated with TAVI, may provide a relevant tool for optimizing healthcare decision.

Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve implantation after failed surgically implanted aortic bioprosthesis versus native transcatheter aortic valve implantation for aortic stenosis: Data from a nationwide analysis

BACKGROUND

Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has emerged as a treatment for aortic bioprosthesis failure in case of prohibitive risk for redo surgery. However, clinical evaluation of valve-in-valve TAVI remains limited by the number of patients analysed.

AIM

To evaluate outcomes of valve-in-valve TAVI compared with native aortic valve TAVI at a nationwide level in France.

METHODS

Based on the French administrative hospital discharge database, the study collected information for all consecutive patients treated with TAVI for aortic stenosis or with isolated valve-in-valve TAVI for aortic bioprosthesis failure between 2010 and 2019. Propensity score matching was used for the analysis of outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 44,218 patients were found in the database. After matching on baseline characteristics, 2749 patients were analysed in each arm. At 30 days, no significant differences were observed regarding the occurrence of major clinical events (composite of cardiovascular mortality, all-cause stroke, myocardial infarction, major or life-threatening bleeding and conversion to open heart surgery) (odds ratio [OR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.68-1.01; P=0.32). During follow-up (mean 516 days), the combined endpoint of cardiovascular death, all-cause stroke or rehospitalization for heart failure was not different between the valve-in-valve TAVI and native TAVI groups (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.94-1.13; P=1.00).

CONCLUSION

We observed that valve-in-valve TAVI was associated with good short- and long-term outcomes. No significant differences were observed compared with native valve TAVI regarding clinical follow-up.

Comparative Effectiveness of Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, and Warfarin in Atrial Fibrillation Patients With Polypharmacy

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Comparative effectiveness and safety of oral anticoagulants in patients with atrial fibrillation and high polypharmacy are unknown.

METHODS

We used Medicare administrative data to evaluate patients with new atrial fibrillation diagnosis from 2015 to 2017, who initiated an oral anticoagulant within 90 days of diagnosis. Patients taking ≤3, 4 to 8, or ≥9 other prescription medications were categorized as having low, moderate, or high polypharmacy, respectively. Within polypharmacy categories, patients receiving apixaban 5 mg twice daily, rivaroxaban 20 mg once daily, or warfarin were matched using a 3-way propensity score matching. Study outcomes included ischemic stroke, bleeding, and all-cause mortality.

RESULTS

The study cohort included 6985 patients using apixaban, 3838 using rivaroxaban, and 6639 using warfarin. In the propensity-matched cohorts there was no difference in risk of ischemic stroke between the 3 drugs in patients with low and moderate polypharmacy. However, among patients with high polypharmacy, the risk of ischemic stroke was higher with apixaban compared with warfarin (adjusted hazard ratio 2.34 [95% CI, 1.01-5.42]; P=0.05) and similar to rivaroxaban (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.38 [95% CI, 0.67-2.84]; P=0.4). There was no difference in risk of death between the 3 drugs in patients with low and moderate polypharmacy, but apixaban was associated with a higher risk of death compared with rivaroxaban (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.03 [95% CI, 1.01-4.08]; P=0.05) in the high polypharmacy group. Apixaban had lower bleeding risk compared with warfarin in the low polypharmacy group (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.32-0.90]; P=0.02), but there was no difference in bleeding between the 3 drugs in the moderate and high polypharmacy groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that among patients with significant polypharmacy (>8 drugs), there may be a higher stroke and mortality risk with apixaban compared with warfarin and rivaroxaban. However, differences were of borderline significance.

Use of Administrative Claims to Assess Outcomes and Treatment Effect in Randomized Clinical Trials for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: Findings From the EXTEND Study

BACKGROUND

Whether passively collected data can substitute for adjudicated outcomes to reproduce the magnitude and direction of treatment effect observed in cardiovascular clinical trials is not well known.

METHODS

We linked adults ≥65 years of age in the HiR (US CoreValve Pivotal High Risk) and SURTAVI trials (Surgical or Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Intermediate-Risk Patients) to 100% Medicare inpatient claims, January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2016. Primary (eg, death and stroke) and secondary trial end points were compared across treatment arms (eg, transcatheter aortic valve replacement [TAVR] versus surgical aortic valve replacement [SAVR]) using trial-adjudicated outcomes versus outcomes derived from claims at 1 year (HiR) or 2 years (SURTAVI).

RESULTS

Among 600 linked HiR participants (linkage rate, 80.0%), the rate of the trial's primary end point of all-cause mortality occurred in 13.7% of patients receiving TAVR and 16.4% of patients receiving SAVR at 1 year by using both trial data (hazard ratio, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.65-1.09]; P=0.33) and claims data (hazard ratio, 0.86 [95% CI, 0.66-1.11]; P=0.34; interaction P value=0.80). Noninferiority of TAVR relative to SAVR was seen by using both trial- and claims-based outcomes (P_{noninferiority}<0.001 for both). Among 1005 linked SURTAVI trial participants (linkage rate, 60.5%), the trial's primary end point was 12.9% for TAVR and 13.1% for SAVR using trial data (hazard ratio, 1.08 [95% CI, 0.79-1.48]; P=0.90), and 11.3% for TAVR and 12.5% for SAVR patients using claims data (hazard ratio, 1.02 [95% CI, 0.73-1.41]; P=0.58; interaction P value=0.89). TAVR was noninferior to SAVR when compared using both trial and claims (P_{noninferiority}<0.001 for both). Rates of procedural secondary outcomes (eg, aortic valve reintervention, pacemaker rates) were more closely concordant between trial and claims data than nonprocedural outcomes (eg, stroke, bleeding, cardiogenic shock).

CONCLUSIONS

In the HiR and SURTAVI trials, ascertainment of trial primary end points using claims reproduced both the magnitude and direction of treatment effect in comparison with adjudicated event data, but nonfatal and nonprocedural secondary outcomes were not as well reproduced. Use of claims to substitute for adjudicated outcomes in traditional trial treatment comparisons may be valid and feasible for all-cause mortality and certain procedural outcomes but may be less suitable for other end points.

Relation of Frailty to Outcomes After Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF) improves outcomes compared with medical treatment alone. Risk stratification for outcomes following AF ablation remains an important area of uncertainty. This analysis evaluated the association between frailty and outcomes following AF ablation. We evaluated US inpatients receiving AF ablation between January 1, 2016 and December 1, 2016 using Medicare fee-for-service billing codes. Diagnosis codes were used to calculate patients' Hospital Frailty Risk Score, with the cohort divided according to established cut-points of low (<5), intermediate (5 to 15), and high (>15) risk for frailty. The primary outcome was survival. Among 5,070 in patients treated with catheter ablation (mean age 74.9 ± 6.8 years, 51.1% female), 38.6% were defined as frail with a Hospital Frailty Risk Score >5, including 8.3% at high risk. Mortality rates (up to 630 days) were 5.8% in the low-risk group, 23.4% in the intermediate-risk group, and 42.2% in the high-risk group (log-rank p values <0.001 for comparison between categories). In restricted cubic spline regression analysis, the adjusted hazard ratios for long-term mortality monotonically increased with increasing values of the Hospital Frailty Risk Score (adjusted hazard ratio 1.065, 95% confidence interval 1.054 to 1.077). In secondary end points, frailty was independently associated with length of stay, postprocedure 30-day mortality, 30-day readmission and postdischarge 30-day mortality rates. In conclusion, frailty as assessed by a claims-based score is common in inpatient recipients of AF ablation, and provides risk stratification for mortality and other key clinical outcomes.

Outcomes in nonagenarians undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation: a nationwide analysis

AIMS

The aim of this study was to describe the midterm outcomes in nonagenarians undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

METHODS AND RESULTS

Based on the French administrative hospital discharge database, the study collected information for all consecutive patients with aortic stenosis (AS), and specifically those treated with TAVI between 2010 and 2018. Cox regression was used for the analysis of predictors of events. We compared patients according to their age. Within the studied period, 71,095 patients older than 90 years with AS were identified. After matching on baseline characteristics, TAVI was associated with lower rates of a combined outcome of all-cause death, rehospitalisation for heart failure and stroke (relative risk [RR] 0.58, p<0.001) in comparison with matched nonagenarians with AS treated medically. During follow-up (median 161 days, interquartile range 13-625), the combined outcome occurred more frequently in nonagenarians (RR 1.22, p<0.01) who had a TAVI than in younger patients undergoing this procedure. All-cause death was reported in 17.6% versus 14.5% of nonagenarians, rehospitalisation for heart failure in 21.3% versus 18.2%, and stroke in 3.7% versus 2.9% (p<0.01 for all parameters). We identified the Charlson comorbidity index, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, stroke, vascular disease, cognitive impairment and denutrition as independent predictors of adverse outcomes in nonagenarians undergoing TAVI.

CONCLUSIONS

Among nonagenarians with AS, patients treated with TAVI had a lower risk of cardiovascular events than matched patients treated medically. The patients undergoing a TAVI at this age were often highly selected; the procedure was associated with acceptable long-term outcomes.

[Cross-speciality geriatrics: A health-care challenge for the 21st century]

Increasing numbers of older persons are being treated by specialties other than Geriatric Medicine. Specialists turn to Geriatric Teams when they need to accurately stratify their patients' risk and prognosis, predict the potential impact of their, often, invasive interventions, optimise their clinical status, and contribute to discharge planning. Oncology and Haematology, Cardiology, General Surgery, and other surgical departments are examples where such collaborative working is already established, to a varying extent. The use of the term "Cross-speciality Geriatrics" is suggested when geriatric care is provided in clinical areas traditionally outside the reach of Geriatric Teams. The core principles of Geriatric Medicine (comprehensive geriatric assessment, patient-centred multidisciplinary targeted interventions, and input at point-of-care) are adapted to the specifics of each specialty and applied to frail older patients in order to deliver a holistic assessment/treatment, better patient/carer experience, and improved clinical outcomes. Using Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment methodology and Frailty scoring in such patients provides invaluable prognostic information, helps in decision making, and enables personalised treatment strategies. There is evidence that such an approach improves the efficiency of health care systems and patient outcomes. This article includes a review of these concepts, describes existing models of care, presents the most commonly used clinical tools, and offers examples of excellence in this new era of geriatric care. In an ever ageing population it is likely that teams will be asked to provide Cross-specialty Geriatrics across different Health Care systems. The fundamentals for its implementation are in place, but further evidence is required to guide future development and consolidation, making it one of the most important challenges for Geriatrics in the coming years.

Impact of Sapien 3 Balloon-Expandable Versus Evolut R Self-Expandable Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in Patients With Aortic Stenosis

Background:

Two competing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) technologies are currently available. Head-to-head comparisons of the relative performances of these 2 devices have been published. However, long-term clinical outcome evaluation remains limited by the number of patients analyzed, in particular, for recent-generation devices.

Methods:

Based on the French administrative hospital-discharge database, the study collected information for all consecutive patients treated with a TAVR device commercialized in France between 2014 and 2018. Propensity score matching was used for the analysis of outcomes during follow-up. The objective of this study was to analyze the outcomes of TAVR according to Sapien 3 balloon-expandable (BE) versus Evolut R self-expanding TAVR technology at a nationwide level in France.

Results:

A total of 31 113 patients treated with either Sapien 3 BE or Evolut R self-expanding TAVR were found in the database. After matching on baseline characteristics, 20 918 patients were analyzed (10 459 in each group with BE or self-expanding valves). During follow-up (mean [SD], 358 [384]; median [interquartile range], 232 [10–599] days), BE TAVR was associated with a lower yearly incidence of all-cause death (relative risk, 0.88; corrected P =0.005), cardiovascular death (relative risk, 0.82; corrected P =0.002), and rehospitalization for heart failure (relative risk, 0.84; corrected P <0.0001). BE TAVR was also associated with lower rates of pacemaker implantation after the procedure (relative risk, 0.72; corrected P <0.0001).

Conclusions:

On the basis of the largest cohort available, we observed that Sapien 3 BE valves were associated with lower rates of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, rehospitalization for heart failure, and pacemaker implantation after a TAVR procedure.

Temporal Trends and Clinical Outcomes of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Nonagenarians

Background

Contemporary outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) in nonagenarians are unknown.

Methods and Results

We identified 13 544 nonagenarians (aged 90–100 years) who underwent TAVR between 2012 and 2016 using Medicare claims. Generalized estimating equations were used to study the change in short‐term outcomes among nonagenarians over time. We compared outcomes between nonagenarians and non‐nonagenarians undergoing TAVR in 2016. A mixed‐effect multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine predictors of 30‐day mortality in nonagenarians in 2016. A center was defined as a high‐volume center if it performed ≥100 TAVR procedures per year. After adjusting for changes in patients’ characteristics, risk‐adjusted 30‐day mortality declined in nonagenarians from 9.8% in 2012 to 4.4% in 2016 (P<0.001), whereas mortality for patients <90 years decreased from 6.4% to 3.5%. In 2016, 35 712 TAVR procedures were performed, of which 12.7% were in nonagenarians. Overall, in‐hospital mortality in 2016 was higher in nonagenarians compared with younger patients (2.4% versus 1.7%, P<0.05) but did not differ in analysis limited to high‐volume centers (2.2% versus 1.7%; odds ratio: 1.33; 95% CI, 0.97–1.81; P=0.07). Important predictors of 30‐day mortality in nonagenarians included in‐hospital stroke (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 8.67; 95% CI, 5.03–15.00), acute kidney injury (aOR: 4.11; 95% CI, 2.90–5.83), blood transfusion (aOR: 2.66; 95% CI, 1.81–3.90), respiratory complications (aOR: 2.96; 95% CI, 1.52–5.76), heart failure (aOR: 1.86; 95% CI, 1.04–3.34), coagulopathy (aOR: 1.59; 95% CI, 1.12–2.26; P<0.05 for all).

Conclusions

Short‐term outcomes after TAVR have improved in nonagenarians. Several procedural complications were associated with increased 30‐day mortality among nonagenarians.

Measuring frailty in patients undergoing TAVI: how and why?

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