Table 1.
Characteristics of the study sample stratified by multidimensional frailty degree and syncope history
| VARIABLE (%) | Light Frailty (n. 92, 16.4%) |
Moderate Frailty (n. 250, 44.6%) |
Severe Frailty (n. 218, 38.9%) |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
NO Syncope (n. 82) |
Syncope (n. 10) |
p |
NO Syncope (n. 216) |
Syncope (n. 34) |
p |
NO Syncope (n.155) |
Syncope (n.63) |
p | |
| Age (years ± SD) | 75.1 ± 6.1 | 75.4 ± 3.1 | 0.873 | 77.2 ± 6.7 | 75.7 ± 6.0 | 0.189 | 79.3 ± 7.1 | 80.2 ± 7.1 | 0.383 |
| Sex (% female) | 31.7 | 40.0 | 0.597 | 53.2 | 61.8 | 0.354 | 62.6 | 66.7 | 0.569 |
| BMI (μ ± SD) | 26.8 ± 5.6 | 31.0 ± 8.2 | 0.035 | 28.1 ± 5.9 | 28.2 ± 3.9 | 0.953 | 27.0 ± 5.8 | 28.5 ± 4.3 | 0.080 |
| SBP (mmHg) (μ ± SD) | 135.8 ± 21.5 | 129.9 ± 14.5 | 0.401 | 140.3 ± 21.7 | 134.6 ± 17.9 | 0.144 | 139.2 ± 22.1 | 143.1 ± 22.1 | 0.236 |
| DBP (mmHg) (μ ± SD) | 77.3 ± 9.3 | 77.2 ± 10.0 | 0.970 | 78.7 ± 11.2 | 78.4 ± 11.7 | 0.876 | 79.4 ± 10.5 | 80.6 ± 11.8 | 0.443 |
| HR (bpm) (μ ± SD) | 70.5 ± 10.8 | 62.6 ± 9.4 | 0.031 | 72.0 ± 12.1 | 73.2 ± 10.1 | 0.557 | 71.9 ± 10.8 | 73.5 ± 10.6 | 0.426 |
| OH (%) | 14.6 | 40.0 | 0.046 | 17.6 | 41.2 | 0.002 | 22.6 | 41.3 | 0.005 |
| CIRS (μ ± SD) | 1.7 ± 0.4 | 1.6 ± 0.4 | 0.742 | 1.9 ± 0.5 | 2.0 ± 0.4 | 0.286 | 2.0 ± 0.6 | 2.0 ± 0.5 | 0.398 |
| Drugs n. (μ ± SD) | 4.7 ± 3.3 | 4.4 ± 4.2 | 0.821 | 6.2 ± 3.3 | 6.9 ± 3.6 | 0.255 | 6.6 ± 2.9 | 7.4 ± 3.3 | 0.098 |
| BADL lost (μ ± SD) | 0.6 ± 1.0 | 0.6 ± 0.7 | 0.881 | 1.8 ± 1.7 | 2.0 ± 1.6 | 0.596 | 3.2 ± 1.6 | 4.3 ± 1.0 | 0.001 |
| IADL lost (μ ± SD) | 1.6 ± 2.1 | 1.4 ± 1.8 | 0.728 | 3.9 ± 2.6 | 4.7 ± 2.2 | 0.008 | 6.1 ± 2.1 | 7.0 ± 1.6 | 0.002 |
| MMSE (μ ± SD) | 26.2 ± 3.4 | 27.2 ± 0.8 | 0.361 | 22.0 ± 5.7 | 23.7 ± 4.2 | 0.182 | 17.3 ± 5.7 | 15.8 ± 7.3 | 0.116 |
| GDS (μ ± SD) | 3.9 ± 3.1 | 4.5 ± 3.9 | 0.632 | 8.0 ± 3.7 | 7.8 ± 2.7 | 0.519 | 9.8 ± 3.6 | 11.4 ± 3.0 | 0.002 |
| MNA (μ ± SD) | 25.9 ± 2.7 | 27.3 ± 2.0 | 0.133 | 21.9 ± 3.8 | 22.4 ± 2.9 | 0.423 | 19.1 ± 3.5 | 17.3 ± 3.5 | 0.001 |
| Tinetti scale (μ ± SD) | 25.1 ± 4.0 | 25.7 ± 2.7 | 0.599 | 18.0 ± 7.5 | 17.7 ± 7.6 | 0.765 | 13.2 ± 6.7 | 9.3 ± 5.3 | 0.001 |
| SPPB (μ ± SD) | 9.9 ± 1.9 | 10.7 ± 0.9 | 0.193 | 7.4 ± 2.9 | 7.4 ± 3.0 | 0.946 | 5.6 ± 2.8 | 3.4 ± 2.5 | 0.001 |
| SSS (μ ± SD) | 6.2 ± 3.4 | 7.0 ± 3.2 | 0.532 | 8.6 ± 2.7 | 8.7 ± 2.6 | 0.820 | 9.3 ± 2.3 | 10.1 ± 2.4 | 0.020 |
| fr-AGILE (μ ± SD) | 2.4 ± 0.8 | 2.3 ± 0.9 | 0.799 | 5.1 ± 0.8 | 5.2 ± 0.7 | 0.694 | 7.5 ± 0.7 | 8.0 ± 0.9 | 0.001 |
| Hypertension (%) | 64.6 | 70.0 | 0.737 | 78.7 | 79.4 | 0.925 | 85.2 | 77.8 | 0.188 |
| Heart Failure (%) | 24.4 | 40.0 | 0.289 | 34.3 | 47.1 | 0.148 | 33.5 | 41.3 | 0.287 |
| CAD (%) | 20.7 | 50.0 | 0.041 | 29.2 | 35.3 | 0.469 | 16.8 | 30.2 | 0.027 |
| Aortic Stenosis (%) | 1.2 | 10.0 | 0.072 | 2.8 | 5.9 | 0.339 | 3.2 | 7.9 | 0.132 |
| Diabetes (%) | 18.3 | 10.0 | 0.514 | 25.5 | 32.4 | 0.397 | 27.7 | 36.5 | 0.202 |
| Parkinson's Disease | 1.2 | 10.0 | 0.072 | 2.3 | 8.8 | 0.045 | 1.9 | 12.7 | 0.001 |
| RAASi (%) | 48.8 | 30.0 | 0.261 | 58.3 | 67.6 | 0.304 | 54.2 | 58.7 | 0.541 |
| β-blockers (%) | 19.5 | 20.0 | 0.971 | 31.0 | 44.1 | 0.130 | 27.1 | 36.5 | 0.169 |
| α-blockers (%) | 20.7 | 20.0 | 0.957 | 15.7 | 35.3 | 0.006 | 11.6 | 28.6 | 0.002 |
| CCB (%) | 26.8 | 30.0 | 0.831 | 31.9 | 35.3 | 0.698 | 36.1 | 38.1 | 0.785 |
| Nitrates (%) | 6.1 | 20.0 | 0.117 | 2.8 | 17.6 | 0.001 | 3.2 | 15.9 | 0.001 |
| Diuretics (%) | 15.9 | 40.0 | 0.063 | 26.4 | 52.9 | 0.002 | 44.5 | 57.1 | 0.091 |
| AChEIs (%) | 6.1 | 0.0 | 0.422 | 10.2 | 8.8 | 0.806 | 25.8 | 25.4 | 0.950 |
| Memantine (%) | 0.0 | 0.0 | – | 5.6 | 0.00 | 0.159 | 10.3 | 15.9 | 0.252 |
| Antidepressant (%) | 6.1 | 0.0 | 0.422 | 21.8 | 23.5 | 0.817 | 20.6 | 25.4 | 0.443 |
| Antipsychotics (%) | 4.9 | 10.0 | 0.500 | 14.8 | 5.9 | 0.158 | 28.4 | 31.7 | 0.622 |
Bold emphasis inside table indicate the statistical significance
Legend: SD standard deviation, μ mean, BMI Body Mass Index, SBP Systolic Blood Pressure, DBP Diastolic Blood Pressure, HR Heart Rate, OH Orthostatic Hypotension, CIRS Cumulative Illness Rating Scale, BADL Basic Activity of Daily Living, IADL Instrumental Activity Daily Living, MMSE Mini Mental State Examination, GDS Geriatric Depression Scale, MNA Mini Nutritional Assessment, SPPB Short Physical Performance Battery, SSS Social Support Scale, CAD Coronary Artery Disease, RAASi Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone System inhibitors, CCB Calcium Channel Blockers, AChEIs Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors