Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41912665›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

The role of comorbidity and frailty in shaping the burden of atrial fibrillation: a multinational cross-sectional survey.

Adele Ravelli, Caterina Trevisan, José Miguel Rivera-Caravaca, Bruno Micael Zanforlini, Caterina Bosio, Guendalina Graffigna, Giuseppe Sergi, Gheorghe-Andrei Dan, Anca Rodica Dan, Vanessa Roldán and 7 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Adele RavelliDepartment of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Caterina TrevisanDepartment of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy. caterina.trevisan@ki.se.
José Miguel Rivera-CaravacaFaculty of Nursing, University of Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB-Pascual Parrilla), CIBERCV, Murcia, Spain.
Bruno Micael ZanforliniDepartment of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Caterina BosioEngageMinds HUB - Consumer, Food and Health Engagement Research Center, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Cremona, Italy.
Guendalina GraffignaEngageMinds HUB - Consumer, Food and Health Engagement Research Center, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Cremona, Italy.
Giuseppe SergiDepartment of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
Gheorghe-Andrei DanCarol Davila University of Medicine, Bucharest, Romania.
Anca Rodica DanCardiology Department, Colentina University Hospital, Bucharest, Romania.
Vanessa RoldánDepartment of Hematology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de La Arrixaca , University of Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB-Pascual Parrilla), Murcia, Spain.
Francisco Marín OrtunoDepartment of Cardiology, Hospital Clínico Universitario Virgen de La Arrixaca , University of Murcia, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB-Pascual Parrilla), CIBERCV, Murcia, Spain.
Søren Paaske JohnsenAalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
Mirko PetrovicSection of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Davide Liborio VetranoAging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet-Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden.
Donato Giuseppe LeoLiverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Liverpool and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Liverpool, UK.
Deirdre A LaneDanish Center for Health Services Research, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
AFFIRMO Consortium

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in older adults and often coexists with other chronic conditions, exacerbating physical and cognitive decline and contributing to frailty. The interplay between frailty and comorbidity in AF remains underexplored, particularly regarding quality of life (QoL), health management, and outcome prioritization. Within the AFFIRMO project, this study investigated the experiences of older adults with AF and at least one chronic condition via an online survey. Frailty was assessed using the FRAIL questionnaire, and participants were grouped by frailty status and number of comorbidities. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using the EQ-5D-3L and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Challenges in health management and prioritized outcomes were also explored. We included 659 participants (median age 72 years, 52.8% female). Those with pre-frailty or frailty and ≥ 3 comorbidities reported the poorest HRQoL. Comorbidity, particularly combined with frailty, was associated with health management difficulties, including healthcare visits, polypharmacy, and mobility limitations. Across all groups, maintaining independence and improving QoL were prioritized outcomes. Pain relief was especially important for those with higher comorbidities. In older adults with AF, comorbidity and frailty significantly affect QoL and health burden. Tailored, patient-centred care strategies and routine assessment of frailty and comorbidity are essential to improve care coordination and outcomes.

Indexed as

Atrial FibrillationFrailtyAgedAged, 80 and overComorbidityCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleFrail ElderlyHumansMaleQuality of LifeSurveys and QuestionnairesAtrial fibrillationComorbiditiesFrailtyHealth outcomesOlder adultsQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID41912665
PMCPMC13039896

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.