Targeted Geriatric Assessment to Predict Outcomes in Older Adults With Heart Failure.

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Cardiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Heart failure (HF) care in older adults often overlooks geriatric conditions impacting outcomes.
• Standard cardiovascular assessments may not fully capture risks in elderly HF patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if the 10-minute Targeted Geriatric Assessment (10-TaGA) improves clinical outcome prediction in older adults with HF.
• To evaluate the added value of geriatric assessment in HF patient management.

Main Methods:

• Prospective cohort study of 326 older adults with HF admitted to a geriatric day hospital.
• Cox proportional hazard models analyzed 1-year mortality, hospitalization, and health loss based on 10-TaGA risk tertiles.
• Adjustments were made for clinical variables and the Cardiac and Comorbid Conditions Heart Failure score.

Main Results:

• Higher 10-TaGA risk categories were associated with increased all-cause mortality or hospitalization (HR: 1.97 for high-risk).
• The 10-TaGA also correlated with increased days of health lost.
• Adding 10-TaGA to existing scores improved prediction discrimination for mortality/hospitalization (AUC difference: 0.04).

Conclusions:

• The 10-TaGA provides clinically relevant information beyond standard cardiac assessments in older adults with HF.
• This geriatric assessment tool can support more effective, patient-centered care for elderly HF patients.
• Integrating geriatric assessments can enhance risk stratification and management strategies.