Background: Frailty is the most important short and long term predictor of disability in the elderly and thus might influence the clinical outcome of acute treatment of stroke.
Objective: to evaluate whether frailty predicts short- and long term all-cause mortality and neurological recovery in elderly patients who underwent reperfusion acute treatment of stroke.
Methods: the study included consecutive patients older than 65 years who underwent reperfusion treatment in a single stroke Unit from 2015 to 2016. Predictors of stroke outcomes were assessed including demographics, baseline NIHSS, time to needle, treatment and medical complications. Premorbid Frailty was assessed with a comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) including functional, nutritional, cognitive, social and comorbidities status. At three and twelve months, all-cause death and clinical recovery (using modified Ranking scale, mRS) were evaluated.
Results: One-hundred and two patients who underwent acute reperfusion treatment for stroke entered the study (mean age 77.5, 65- 94 years). Frailty was diagnosed in 32 out of 70 patients and associated with older age (p=0.001) but no differences in baseline NIHSS score, vascular risk profile or treatment management strategy. Frailty status was associated with worse improvement at 24 hours and higher in-hospital mortality. At follow-up, frail patients showed poorer survival at 3 (25% vs 3%, p=0.008) and 12 (38% vs 7%, p=0.001) months. Frailty was the best predictor of neurological recovery at one year follow-up (mRS 3.2 + 1.9 vs 1.9 + 1.9).
Discussion: frailty is an important predictor of efficacy of acute treatment of stroke beyond classical predictors of stroke outcomes. Larger longitudinal studies are thus warranted in order to evaluate the risk-benefit of reperfusion treatment in the growing elderly frail population.
Premorbid frailty predicts short and long term outcomes of reperfusion treatment in acute stroke