Frailty diminishes functional outcome in patients with nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a dual specialized neurovascular center analysis.

OBJECTIVE

Frailty is increasingly recognized as a significant prognostic factor in various conditions. However, its impact on outcomes following spontaneous, nonaneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (naSAH) remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the association between pre-existing frailty and functional outcomes in patients with naSAH.

METHODS

The study cohort was made up of 257 patients treated for naSAH at two neurovascular centers between 2012 and 2021. Frailty prior to naSAH was assessed using the modified frailty index (mFI), with patients classified as nonfrail (mFI 0-1) or frail (mFI ≥ 2). Functional outcomes at 6 months were evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), categorized as favorable (mRS 0-2) or unfavorable (mRS 3-6). A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of unfavorable outcomes.

RESULTS

Among 257 naSAH patients, 56 (22%) were classified as frail (mFI ≥ 2) before ictus. At the 6-month follow-up, unfavorable outcomes were observed in 17 of the 56 frail patients (30%) compared to 21 of 201 nonfrail patients (10%) (p = 0.001). In addition to established negative prognostic factors such as delayed cerebral ischemia (p < 0.001) and poor-grade naSAH (Hunt & Hess grades III-IV; p = 0.001), multivariable analysis identified frailty (p = 0.03) as an independent and significant predictor of unfavorable functional outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

Frailty prior to hemorrhage, as determined by an mFI of ≥ 2, was associated with poor functional outcomes at 6 months in patients with naSAH. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating frailty assessments into early prognostic evaluations to guide patient management and counseling.