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Frailty is a common comorbidity associated with adverse events in patients with heart failure, and early recognition is key to improving its management. We hypothesized that the AST to ALT ratio (AAR) could be a marker of frailty in patients with heart failure. Data from the FRAGILE-HF study were analyzed. A total of 1327 patients aged ≥ 65 years hospitalized with heart failure were categorized into three groups based on their AAR at discharge: low AAR (AAR < 1.16, n = 434); middle AAR (1.16 ≤ AAR < 1.70, n = 487); high AAR (AAR ≥ 1.70, n = 406). The primary endpoint was one-year mortality. The association between AAR and physical function was also assessed. High AAR was associated with lower short physical performance battery and shorter 6-min walk distance, and these associations were independent of age and sex. Logistic regression analysis revealed that high AAR was an independent marker of physical frailty after adjustment for age, sex and body mass index. During follow-up, all-cause death occurred in 161 patients. After adjusting for confounding factors, high AAR was associated with all-cause death (low AAR vs. high AAR, hazard ratio: 1.57, 95% confidence interval, 1.02–2.42; P = 0.040). In conclusion, AAR is a marker of frailty and prognostic for all-cause mortality in older patients with heart failure.

Background The purpose of this study was to clarify the prevalence, association with frailty and exercise capacity, and prognostic implication of sarcopenic obesity in patients with heart failure. Methods The present study included 779 older adults hospitalized with heart failure (median age: 81 years; 57.4% men). Sarcopenia was diagnosed based on the guidelines by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia. Obesity was defined as the percentage of body fat mass (FM) obtained by bioelectrical impedance analysis. The FM cut-off points for obesity were 38% for women and 27% for men. The primary endpoint was 1-year all-cause death. We assessed the associations of sarcopenic obesity occurrence with the short physical performance battery (SPPB) score and 6-minute walk distance (6MWD). Results The rates of sarcopenia and obesity were 19.3 and 26.2%, respectively. The patients were classified into the following groups: non-sarcopenia/non-obesity (58.5%), non-sarcopenia/obesity (22.2%), sarcopenia/non-obesity (15.3%), and sarcopenia/obesity (4.0%). The sarcopenia/obesity group had a lower SPPB score and shorter 6MWD, which was independent of age and sex (coefficient, − 0.120; t-value, − 3.74; P < 0.001 and coefficient, − 77.42; t-value, − 3.61; P < 0.001; respectively). Ninety-six patients died during the 1-year follow-up period. In a Cox proportional hazard analysis, sarcopenia and obesity together were an independent prognostic factor even after adjusting for a coexisting prognostic factor (non-sarcopenia/non-obesity vs. sarcopenia/obesity: hazard ratio, 2.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.22–5.04; P = 0.012). Conclusion Sarcopenic obesity is a risk factor for all-cause death and low physical function in older adults with heart failure. Trial registration University Hospital Information Network (UMIN-CTR: UMIN000023929).

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