Exploring the link between braden scores and frailty in elderly atrial fibrillation patients

Frailty poses a significant burden in elderly atrial fibrillation (AF) patients, yet predictive tools remain limited. To investigate this, a retrospective analysis of 8339 elderly AF patients admitted to intensive care assessed Braden scores' ability to predict frailty and mortality. The study revealed that high-risk patients (Braden score ≤10 at ICU admission) had significantly higher frailty prevalence (65.1% vs. 55.9%), 60-day (40.6% vs. 17.8%), and 90-day mortality (43.3% vs. 21.0%) compared to low-risk groups (all p < 0.001). Notably, multivariable analysis confirmed a 1.35-fold increased frailty risk in high-risk patients (95% CI=1.22-1.50, p < 0.001), with restricted cubic spline models showing a non-linear Braden-frailty relationship. These findings highlight that integrating Braden scores into frailty assessments could enhance risk stratification and personalize care for critically ill elderly AF patients.