Frailty in heart failure according to the presence or absence of wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis.

AIMS

Wild-type transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTRwt CA) is a common, underdiagnosed cause of heart failure (HF) in the elderly. Concurrent extracardiac amyloid infiltration might be responsible for a specific frailty phenotype. This study aims to compare the prevalence and characteristics of frailty parameters in HF patients, with or without ATTRwt CA.

METHODS

In a comparative cross-sectional study, we prospectively included consecutive HF patients with or without ATTRwt CA (the HF + ATTRwt+ and HF + ATTRwt- groups, respectively) between April 2018 and April 2021. Logistic regression models were used to compare the groups with regard to frailty as assessed using multidimensional geriatric tools.

RESULTS

We included 123 patients (68 HF + ATTRwt+ and 55 HF + ATTRwt-). The mean age was 80.9 (standard deviation 6.3) years, 87% were male, 34% had left ventricular systolic dysfunction and 34% were New York Heart Association (NYHA) III. Relative to the HF + ATTRwt- group, patients in the HF + ATTRwt+ group were more likely to have shrinking [odds ratios = 2.9 (95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 1.7), P = 0.03], balance disorders [1.8 (1.1 to 2.8), P = 0.02], memory complaints [2.5, (1.0 to 5.9), P = 0.05] and overactive bladder [1.5 (1.1 to 2.2), P = 0.03], independently of age, sex, NYHA class and diabetes status. The proportion of very frail patients was higher (albeit not significantly) in the HF + ATTRwt+ group than in the HF + ATTRwt- group [2.4 (0.9 to 6.9), P = 0.10].

CONCLUSIONS

ATTRwt CA is associated with a specific frailty phenotype. Patients with ATTRwt CA should be screened for frailty and managed collaboratively by cardiologists and geriatricians, with a view to improving quality of life.