Comparison of Grip Test and TFI parameters depending on the sex of patients eligible for TAVI treatment

Abstract

Introduction: Severe aortic stenosis has become one of those diseases that pose a significant clinical problem in aging societies in recent years. One of the therapeutic options for patients with such a diagnosis has become the transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Material and methods: In the group of patients (n = 92) treated for aortic stenosis in Leszek Giec Upper-Silesian Medical Centre of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, qualified by the heart team for TAVI treatment, muscle strength was assessed and the probability of frailty syndrome in the study group was assessed. The study group was further divided by gender to compare the incidence of frailty syndrome and the distribution of reference values of muscle strength measurements depending on this factor. Results: The median muscle strength measured by the Grip Test was 26.8 kg. These values, combined with data from the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) test, indicated significant fragility among the sample. The median TFI score was 8 pts, indicating a high level of fragility. Cardiac function, as measured by ejection fraction (EF), was 55%, which was within normal limits, suggesting moderate heart function among the subjects. The median glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was 62.5 ml/min/1.73 m2, which also suggested moderate renal function among the participants. Conclusions: The results presented in the paper in relation to frailty syndrome determined by the TFI test showed that the vast majority of the subjects (94.6%) exhibited frailty syndrome. A deeper analysis of the TFI results showed that almost 60% of the subjects had up to 5 pts (mild degree of fragility), while 27.5% had a score above 10 pts (severe degree of fragility).

Keywords

• dynamometer
• frailty syndrome
• tavi qualification