Combined Fried Frailty Scale and Mini Nutritional Assessment Identifies Cardiovascular Patients with Reduced Protein/Albumin Plasma Levels: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background

Frailty syndrome significantly worsens the prognosis of elderly people. Sarcopenia and malnutrition are integral parts of aging, but there is a lack of knowledge about the overlap of these states, as well as their diagnostic methods and treatments. This study aimed to assess the malnutrition and sarcopenia scale in patients with frailty syndrome and the viability of evaluating the concentrations of the following potential biomarkers: albumin, total protein, and fibrinogen.

Methods

A total of 170 patients >65 years were assessed for frailty using the Fried frailty scale. The risk of sarcopenia was measured using the SARC-F scale, and the risk of malnutrition was measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) scale. Serum albumin, protein, and fibrinogen levels were measured. The following fat-free body mass and respiratory parameters were measured: peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory volume-one second (FEV1).

Results

A total of 53 patients were classified as robust (31%), 96 as prefrail (57%), and 21 as frail (12%) according to Fried frailty criteria. Frail patients had significantly reduced serum albumin and increased fibrinogen compared to the prefrail and robust groups (p < 0.05). A total of 38% of frail patients were at risk of sarcopenia, and 52% were at risk of malnutrition. Frail patients had lower PEF and FEV1 values, with decreases in respiratory parameters correlating with fat-free body mass and muscle strength.

Conclusions

Frail patients are at substantial risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia. The MNA and SARC-F scales, combined with routine screening of elderly patients with frailty, may effectively identify patients with the highest risk.