Frailty and heart disease.

Frailty is emerging as a syndrome of pre-disability that can identify persons at risk for negative outcomes. Its presence places the individual at risk for rapid deterioration when a major event such as myocardial infarction or hospitalization occurs. In patients with cardiovascular disease, frailty is about three times more prevalent than among elderly persons without. Screening for frailty in heart disease is important not only because of its prognostic value, but also because a variety of therapeutic interventions are available.