A new opportunity for patient selection and optimization: Systematic review of cognitive frailty in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device implantation

The prognostic implication of cognitive frailty assessment in patients undergoing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate assessment strategies and their significance for patients undergoing LVAD implantation. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Embase, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature from inception until September 2022 and a review of meeting proceedings were performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines. Studies that investigated the prognostic value of cognitive frailty or any related cognition‐based assessment in patients undergoing LVAD implantation were included. Study characteristics, patient demographics, and type of cognitive assessment were extracted. Primary outcomes included length of stay, readmissions, and all‐cause mortality. Of 664 records retrieved, 12 (4 prospective, 8 retrospective) involving 16 737 subjects (mean age, 56.9 years; 78.3% men) met inclusion criteria; 67% of studies used the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to assess cognitive frailty. Outcomes reported were highly variable, with 42% reporting readmission, 33% reporting LOS, and 83% reporting mortality data; only two studies provided data on all three. Cognitive frailty was associated with prolonged length of stay in 75% of studies reporting this outcome. Only 40% and 60% of studies that reported readmissions and mortality outcomes, respectively, suggested a predictive association. Pre‐LVAD cognitive frailty is likely associated with worse outcomes postimplant. However, the heterogenous reporting of outcomes data and lack of consistent definitions in the literature limit its prognostic value. Additional research on markers for cognitive frailty and improved standards of reporting may allow for future analyses and enhance preoperative risk assessment and patient care. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 204–210. PRISMA diagram of study selection for a systematic review of data available concerning cognitive assessment strategies and their ability to predict poor clinical outcomes in patients receiving LVADs. While there are inconsistencies in the current data, overall, they point to cognitive frailty as a potentially useful predictor of post‐LVAD outcomes.