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Multidimensional and Multidisciplinary Management of Heart Failure Patients with Frailty
Cristiana Vitale1,2, Gabriele Fragasso3, Izabella Uchmanowicz4
1San Raffaele Open University of Rome Rome, Italy.
Cardiac Failure Review
|August 12, 2026
Summary
Managing heart failure (HF) in frail patients requires a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach. Frailty assessment and tailored interventions are crucial for optimizing outcomes in these vulnerable individuals.
Area of Science:
- Geriatrics
- Cardiology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Frailty is a multidimensional state affecting clinical, functional, psycho-cognitive, and social domains in heart failure (HF) patients.
- Frailty is often underassessed and undertreated in HF patients despite potential for greater treatment benefit.
- Concerns regarding safety, polypharmacy, and limited evidence contribute to a therapeutic gap in frail HF management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss considerations for multidimensional and multidisciplinary management of heart failure patients with frailty.
- To highlight the need for systematic frailty assessment in clinical practice.
- To advocate for integrated therapeutic strategies for frail HF patients.
Main Methods:
- Review of current understanding of frailty in the context of heart failure.
- Discussion of multidimensional assessment across clinical, functional, psycho-cognitive, and social domains.
- Emphasis on integrating pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions within a multidisciplinary team approach.
Main Results:
- Frail HF patients require comprehensive, multidimensional management strategies.
- Systematic assessment of all four frailty domains is essential for individualized care.
- Multidisciplinary teams are key to delivering optimized care plans.
Conclusions:
- Frail HF patients need integrated care combining evidence-based treatments with non-pharmacological modalities.
- Routine, multidimensional frailty assessment is necessary for personalized HF management.
- Further research, including randomized clinical trials, is needed for frail HF patients.
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