Differences in Sensitivity and Specificity of the Time Up and Go Test and Berg Balance Scale in Assessing the Risk of Falls in Chronic Heart Failure Patients with Systolic Dysfunction

Introduction: Chronic heart failure (HF) patients face increased fall risks due to muscle dysfunction and balance impairment. The Time Up and Go (TUG) and the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) are the tests that have been developed to assess the risk of falls in general population, but research specifically investigating their sensitivity and specificity in chronic HF patients remains scarce. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional study aimed at assessing the sensitivity and specificity of the TUG and BBS for risk of fall, performed using the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, involving patients from the Cardiology Department of Brawijaya University Hospital aged 21 to 60 years who were diagnosed with chronic HF with systolic dysfunction. Results: Analysis of 32 participants with average age of 56 years showed TUG’s area under the curve (AUC) was 0.85 (95% CI 0.5 – 1), with cut-off at 11.22 seconds, with 75.00% sensitivity, and 96.43% specificity. Meanwhile, BBS had an AUC of 0.72 (95% CI 0.4 - 1), with 71.43% sensitivity, and 75.00% specificity respectively with cutoff at 56. Conclusion: TUG demonstrated superior sensitivity and specificity compared to BBS, making it a preferred tool for identifying fall risk in chronic HF with systolic dysfunction.