Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2026

Cutoff Value of Phase Angle by Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis at Admission as a Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Heart Failure
Published on: June 10, 2025
[Correlation between evolution of the cognitive function and mortality after hospital discharge in elderly patients
Marcelo E Ochiai1, Luciano L S Franco, Otávio C E Gebara
1Instituto do Coração, Hospital das Clínicas, FM, USP. mochiai@osite.com.br
Objective:
To assess the relation between the evolution of cognitive performance and the prognosis of elderly patients after compensation of advanced heart failure.
Methods:
Thirty-one patients older than 64 (68 +/- 7) years and admitted with New York Heart Association class IV heart failure and ejection fraction = 0.45 (0.38 +/- 0.06) were consecutively selected. They underwent cognitive tests (digit span, digit symbol, letter cancellation, trail making A and B) and the 6-minute walking test 4 days before (T1) and 6 weeks after (T2) hospital discharge, and their performances were compared using the t test. The prognostic value of the scores of the cognitive tests was analyzed with logistic regression, and the value of greatest accuracy of the tests was associated with the prognosis determined by the ROC curve.
Results:
After 24.7 months, 17 (55%) patients had died. The performances in the 6-minute walking test and most cognitive tests improved between T1 and T2. The digit span score of the survivors ranged from 3.9 to 5.2 (P=0.003) and remained unaltered among those who died (4.1 to 3.9; P=0.496). An improvement < 0.75 points in the score was associated with mortality (relative risk of 8.1; P=0.011).
Conclusion:
In the elderly, after compensation of advanced heart failure, the lack of evolutionary improvement in cognitive performance was associated with a worse prognosis.
Related Concept Videos
Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology
Heart Failure III: Clinical Manifestations
Correlation between ECG and Cardiac Cycle
A cardiac action potential originates in the SA node and spreads throughout the atria and the AV node in approximately 0.03 seconds. This results in the P wave in an ECG and triggers atrial contraction. The action potential is then briefly slowed at the AV node, allowing the atria to contract and fill the ventricles with blood before...
Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation
Pharmacodynamics in Geriatric Patients: Effects of Age
Heart Failure I: Introduction