Frailty syndrome: An emerging clinical problem in the everyday management of clinical arrhythmias. the results of the European Heart Rhythm Association survey

Abstract

The aging process of population and improvements in medical therapy have accounted for the progressive increase of elderly patients presenting with a clinically relevant arrhythmia. Aging is frequently characterized by the coexistence of several comorbid conditions, often reciprocally interacting to produce a greater than additive negative impact on health status. At the same time, sub-clinical malnutrition, inactivity, and low-grade inflammation may exert a hidden effect on several body systems. All these changes are associated with frailty development, an age-related phenomenon, characterized by an increased vulnerability to stressors and a decreased ability to maintain homeostasis.1 The aims of this European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) EP Wire survey were to evaluate, among European electrophysiology (EP) centres, the prevalence of frailty in everyday clinical practice and to assess its influence on medical conduct when coping with arrhythmia management. © The Author 2016. For permissions.