Adverse outcomes of frailty in the elderly the Ro

Authors: Lies Lahousse Bastiaan Maes Gijsbertus Ziere Daan W Loth Vincentius J A Verlinden M Carola Zillikens André G Uitterlinden Fernando Rivadeneira Henning Tiemeier Oscar H Franco M Arfan Ikram Albert Hofman Guy G Brusselle Bruno H Stricker

Publish Date: 2014/06/17

Volume: 29, Issue: 6, Pages: 419-427

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Abstract

To investigate the prevalence of frailty in a Dutch elderly population and to identify adverse health outcomes associated with the frailty phenotype independent of the comorbidities Crosssectional and longitudinal analyses within the Rotterdam Study the Netherlands a prospective populationbased cohort study in persons aged ≥55 years Frailty was defined as meeting three or more of five established criteria for frailty evaluating nutritional status physical activity mobility grip strength and exhaustion Intermediate frailty was defined as meeting one or two frailty criteria Comorbidities were objectively measured Health outcomes were assessed by means of questionnaires physical examinations and continuous followup through general practitioners and municipal health authorities for mortality Of 2833 participants median age 740 years inter quartile range 9 with sufficiently evaluated frailty criteria 163 58  participants were frail and 1454 513  intermediate frail Frail elderly were more likely to be older and female to have an impaired quality of life and to have fallen or to have been hospitalized 108 720  frail participants had ≥2 comorbidities compared to 777 544  intermediate frail and 522 448  nonfrail participants Adjusted for age sex and comorbidities frail elderly had a significantly increased risk of dying within 3 years HR 34 95  CI 19–64 compared to the nonfrail elderly This study in a general Dutch population of communitydwelling elderly able to perform the frailty tests demonstrates that frailty is common and that frail elderly are at increased risk of death independent of comorbidities

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