The short physical performance battery is associated with activities of daily living impairment at discharge in older patients with acute heart failure.

We aimed to determine the relationship between the short physical performance battery (SPPB) summary score or sub-score and dependence on specific activities of daily living (ADL) tasks at discharge in older patients with acute heart failure (AHF) who underwent cardiac rehabilitation (CR). This retrospective observational study included 318 patients (median age, 82 years; 54 % female). The primary outcome was dependence on the 10 sub-items of the Barthel Index (BI), a measure of ADL. Multivariate logistic regression analyses indicated that the SPPB summary score at the start of CR was independently associated with all BI sub-items. The 4-m walk test scores were more strongly related to feeding and stair climbing, while the chair stand test scores were more strongly related to transfer, bathing, ambulation, dressing, bladder care, and bowel care than the SPPB summary score. These findings may contribute to the prediction of ADL sub-items at discharge for older patients with AHF.