Octogenarian women with acute coronary syndrome present frailty and readmissions more frequently than men

A worse prognosis has been reported among women with acute coronary syndrome compared to men. Our aim was to address the role of frailty and sex in the management and prognosis of elderly patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome.

A prospective registry in 44 Spanish hospitals including patients aged 80 years and older with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome. Frailty assessment was performed using the FRAIL scale.

Of a total of 535 patients, 207 (38.7%) were women. Mean age was 84.8±4.0 years, similar in men and women. A prior history of coronary artery disease was more common in men (146, 44.9%) than in women (46, 22.2%), P<0.001. Frailty was less frequent in men (65, 20.2%) than in women (77, 37.8%), P<0.001. Female sex was an independent predictor of death/hospitalisation (hazard ratio (HR) 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1–2.4) and of hospitalisation at 6 months (HR 1.6, 95% CI 1.04–2.4). In men, compared to non-frail patients, both a prefrail status (HR 3.47, 95% CI 1.22–9.89) and frailty (HR 3.19, 95% CI 1.08–9.43) were independently associated with higher mortality. In women only frailty was independently associated with higher mortality (HR 5.68, 95% CI 1.91–16.18, compared to prefrailty or robustness). Frailty was associated with readmissions in men (HR 3.34, 95% CI 1.79–6.22) but not in women.

In octogenarians with acute coronary syndrome female sex was independently associated with death/hospitalisation at 6 months. Frailty was more common in women and was a predictor of poor prognosis. In men prefrailty also predicted a poor prognosis.