Cognitive dysfunction correlates with physical impairment in frail patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background To the best of our knowledge, the association of physical impairment and cognitive decline has never been investigated in frail patients with acute myocardial infarction. Aim The aim of our study is to assess the correlation between physical and cognitive dysfunction in frail patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods We examined consecutive frail patients with first STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). All patients were evaluated via Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and 5-m gait speed test after PPCI. Results A total of 871 frail patients with suspected STEMI were admitted and 301 patients successfully completed the study. We found that the gait speed significantly correlated with the MMSE score (r: 0.771; p: < 0.001). The independent effects on MMSE score were confirmed in a linear multivariate analysis. Conclusions Taken together, our findings indicate that an assessment of both cognitive and physical conditions should be included in the comprehensive geriatric evaluation of hospitalized older STEMI patients.