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Screening questions for sarcopenia used in the community (SARC-F) may be regarded as indicators of exercise tolerance. Observational study. We tested the hypothesis that community-living older people who are screened positive for sarcopenia using the SARC-F tool but without a history of heart failure (HF) have a higher prevalence of cardiac abnormalities compared with those who are SARC-F negative. Participants were recruited from a territory-wide primary care needs assessment for older people based in community centres, and from non-acute hospitals in the same region as the study centre. Participants with a total score of >=4 and who did not have any history of HF were invited to attend for further cardiac assessment. Grip strength, walking speed, and the 6-minute walk test and echocardiography were carried out. Patients with frailty and at least Grade II diastolic dysfunction were considered to have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) if they also had concomitant elevated N-terminal prohormone of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) of at least 300 pg/ml. Diastolic dysfunction (DD) was significantly associated with SARC-F score >=4 and higher circulating NT-proBNP levels. ROC curves evaluating the predictive values of SARC-F, HGS and gait speed for DD showed that a combination of SARC-F and HGS or gait speed provided significant incremental value in predicting DD. Community living older people with sarcopenia detected using a simple questionnaire have a higher prevalence of DD accompanied by elevated NT proBNP. Addition of hand grip strength or walking speed improve the magnitude of the association. SARC-F may be used as a tool to detect early cardiac dysfunction in the community.

To test the utility of the FRAIL questionnaire as a screening tool for heart failure. Cross sectional study. Chinese older people in Hong Kong. Participants aged 60 years and over were recruited from a territory-wide primary care needs assessment for older people based in community centers as well as two nonacute hospitals. Questionnaire administered included the five-item FRAIL scale, and information regarding sociodemographic data, smoking and alcohol use, history of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and heart failure symptoms. Handgrip strength, walking speed and 6 minute walk distance were recorded. Cardiac assessment included electrocardiogram, echocardiography, and blood assay for N-terminal prohormone of B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). The prevalence of diastolic dysfunction was high, being 52% in the robust group, increasing to 65% in the pre-frail and 85% in the frail group. This finding is accompanied by a corresponding increase in NT-proBNP from 64.18 pg/ml in the robust group, to 118.57 pg/ml in the pre-frail and 167.98 pg/ml in the frail group. Three of the five components of the FRAIL scale, fatigue, resistance and ambulation, were associated with increased odds ratios of diastolic dysfunction among those aged 75 years and older, while resistance alone was associated with increased odds ratio among those less than 75 years old. Frailty is associated with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), and frailty screening may be used to detect undiagnosed HFpEF. The findings support the proposal that HFpEF be considered a geriatric syndrome.

We develop the Crank–Nicolson finite element (CNFE) method for the two-dimensional (2D) uniform transmission line equation, study the stability and existence as well as error estimates for the CNFE solutions of the 2D uniform transmission line equation by strict theoretical approaches. We verify the correctness of the obtained theoretical results by means of numerical tests.