The relationship between physical activity levels and prognosis in geriatric patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome
Frontiers in Medicine, vol.13, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 13
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.3389/fmed.2026.1747169
- Journal Name: Frontiers in Medicine
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, EMBASE, Directory of Open Access Journals, Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Keywords: acute coronary syndrome, elderly people, MACE, myocardial infarction, physical activity
- Bursa Uludag University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Purpose – This study aimed to investigate the relationship between Physical Activity (PA) levels and prognosis in geriatric patients diagnosed with Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in the emergency department. Method – Purposive sampling was used and 207 volunteer geriatric ACS patients were included. Since the obtained data did not follow a normal distribution, the Kruskal-Wallis H test, Dunn-Bonferroni test, Fisher–Freeman–Halton test, Spearman correlation coefficient, and receiver operating characteristic curve were used in the data analysis. Results – The findings revealed that the PA levels of patients diagnosed with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in the emergency department was lower than that of patients diagnosed with non-MACE and patients who refused treatment/were discharged and diagnosed with MACE within 30 days (p = 0.001). Additionally, when comparing ACS risk scores (TIMI, HEART, and SVEAT), ACS risk scores were higher in patients diagnosed with MACE compared to patients diagnosed with non-MACE and patients who refused treatment or were diagnosed with MACE within 30 days after discharge (p = 0.001). Patients’ PA levels were found to be negatively correlated with ACS risk scores TIMI (r = −0.202; p = 0.004), HEART (r = −0.387; p = 0.001), and SVEAT (r = −0.460; p = 0.001). ACS patients with high PA were found to have a lower MACE rate and mortality risk than patients with low and moderate PA (p = 0.001). Indeed, when examined patient prognosis, discharge, ward, coronary care unit, and intensive care unit services were directly related to PA (p = 0.001). These results indicate that higher PA may be associated with a reduced risk of ACS and mortality in geriatric individuals. Conclusion – It is recommended that PA levels be considered when making treatment decisions in geriatric ACS patients, especially in borderline cases. Furthermore, PA may be a practical and potentially useful prognostic indicator in geriatric ACS patients; however, its integration into existing ACS risk scoring systems requires further validation in larger and prospective studies.