Frailty Index
A standardized assessment tool measuring cumulative deficits to evaluate frailty in elderly cardiac patients.
Full Definition
The Frailty Index is a validated assessment tool that quantifies frailty by calculating the proportion of deficits present in an individual relative to the total number of potential age-related health deficits. In geriatric cardiology, frailty assessment is crucial for risk stratification, procedural planning, and prognosis determination. The index incorporates multiple domains including physical function, cognitive status, comorbidities, and social factors. A higher frailty index score correlates with increased mortality, complications, and adverse outcomes following cardiac interventions.
Usage
Usage note: Expressed as decimal between 0 and 1; higher values indicate greater frailty.
In Context
- "The patient's frailty index of 0.35 indicated moderate frailty affecting surgical risk." — Preoperative cardiac assessment
- "Serial frailty index measurements showed improvement following cardiac rehabilitation." — Follow-up evaluation