Higher modified frailty index score is associated with 30-day postoperative complications following simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: There is no clear consensus regarding patient populations at highest risk for complications from simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the comorbidities comprising the modified Frailty Index (mFI) were correlated with poor outcomes following simultaneous bilateral TKA. METHODS: From 2006 to 2019, patients undergoing bilateral TKA aged 50 years or older were identified in a national database. The 5-item mFI was calculated based on the presence of five comorbidities: diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and dependent functional status. Chi-squared and multivariable regression analyses were used to evaluate the association of mFI scores with postoperative complications. RESULTS: The study analyzed 8,776 patients with an average age of 65 years. After adjustment on multivariable regression analysis, compared to patients with a mFI score of 0, those with a score of 1 had an increased risk of pulmonary complication (OR 3.14; p = 0.011), renal problem (OR 12.86; p = 0.022), sepsis complication (OR 2.82; p = 0.024), postoperative transfusion (OR 1.19; p = 0.012), and non-home discharge (OR 1.17; p = 0.002).Patients with a score of 2 compared to 0 had similar complications when compared. These patients had an increased risk of cardiac complication (OR 4.84; p = 0.009) and prolonged hospital stay (OR 4.06; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Increased mFI scores were associated with significantly higher complication rates in patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral TKA compared to unilateral TKA. Our results can be used to identify which patients may need a staged bilateral TKA or preoperative optimization to safely undergo a simultaneous bilateral TKA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Modified frailty index can help predict complications following tibial plateau fracture fixation: a NSQIP study involving 2213 patients.

PURPOSE: The 5-item modified frailty index (mFI-5) has been established as a reliable indicator of poor postoperative outcomes following a variety of orthopaedic procedures. This study aims to determine whether the mFI-5 can be used by surgeons to predict the likelihood of postoperative complications in patients undergoing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) for tibial plateau fractures. METHODS: From 2006 to 2019, patients aged 50 years or older undergoing ORIF for tibial plateau fracture were identified in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database. The mFI-5 was calculated based on the sum of the presence of 5 conditions: diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and dependent functional status. Chi-squared tests and multivariable regression analysis were used to evaluate the association of different mFI-5 scores with postoperative complications. RESULTS: The study analyzed 2213 patients with an average age of 63 years. Multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that in comparison to patients with a mFI-5 score of 0, those with a score of 1 had an increased risk of prolonged hospital stay (OR 1.31) and discharge to a non-home location (OR 1.50) while those with a score of 2 or greater were at an increased risk of readmission (OR 2.30), wound complication (OR 5.37), pulmonary complication (OR 4.56), urinary tract infection (OR 4.79), prolonged hospital stay (OR 1.89), and discharge to a non-home location (OR 3.01). CONCLUSION: The mFI-5 is a reliable instrument for determining the likelihood of postoperative complications following ORIF for tibial plateau fracture repair. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Linear-inverse associations of serum Klotho protein with prevalence of frailty among adults in the United States.

AIMS: To investigate the potential linear relationship between serum concentrations of klotho and frailty. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 9,597 middle-aged and older adults (aged 40-79 years) from the five cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Frailty was assessed using the Frailty Index, calculated as a percentage of accumulated deficits across 53 health items. Restricted cubic spline curves, subgroup analyses and logistic regression models were employed to evaluate the specific linear trend connection between circulating klotho protein concentration and frailty. RESULTS: When taking Klotho into account as a continuous component in Models 1 and 2, there was a substantial association between the increasing Klotho level and the reduced risk of frailty. Model 3 revealed a strong negative correlation between the Klotho and Frailty, suggesting that high levels of Klotho protein decreases the frailty prevalence [Odd ratio (OR): 0.25; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15-0.43]. Furthermore, according to the quartile analyses, after fully adjusting for the covariates, it was observed that, comparing to the lowest quartile of Klotho, the highest quartile of Klotho demonstrated lowest risk of frailty (OR 0.69; 95% CI 0.58-0.81, Ptrend < 0.001). The restricted cubic spline curves showed a linear relationship and an inverse association between frailty and the Klotho levels (Plinearity < 0.001; Pnon-linearity = 0.736). CONCLUSION: Klotho is inversely and linearly associated with physical frailty in the general population (aged 40-79 years), specifically in the population with an age < 65 and body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2. More necessary prospective studies should be done to further investigate the mechanisms underlying frailty and aging and to elucidate individual frailty causes.

Sex differences in the impact of frailty on patients with heart failure: A retrospective cohort study.

AIMS: Limited literature shows the existence of sex differences in the long-term prognosis of heart failure (HF) patients with frailty. In this study, whether sex differences exist in the impact of frailty on death from cardiovascular causes in patients with HF was investigated by conducting a retrospective cohort study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study (2009-2018) were used to conduct a retrospective cohort study of 958 participants with HF. Patients were grouped based on sex and frailty index (FI). The relationship between death from cardiovascular causes and baseline frailty was assessed by Cox proportional hazard analysis and the Kaplan-Meier (K-M) plot. The study population had an age of 67.3 ± 12.3. Among them, around 54.5% were male. A median follow-up of 3.6 years was performed. After that, females who died from cardiovascular causes exhibited higher baseline FI values, while males did not show this trend (P < 0.05; P = 0.1253). Cox regression analysis demonstrated a significant association between FI and cardiovascular mortality in females (most frail: hazard ratio (HR) = 3.65, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07 ~ 12.39, P < 0.05; per 1-unit increase in FI: HR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.33 ~ 2.39, P < 0.001). A dose-response association between FI and cardiovascular mortality was presented by restricted cubic splines. CONCLUSIONS: Frailty is related to an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in HF patients, particularly female patients.

Association Between Modified Frailty Index and Postoperative Outcomes of Cricopharyngeal Myotomy.

OBJECTIVE: The modified 5-item frailty index (mFI-5) is a comorbidity-based risk stratification tool previously validated in patients undergoing several surgical procedures. This study investigates the association between mFI-5 score and cricopharyngeal myotomy (CM) complications. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective database review. SETTING: US hospitals. METHODS: The National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was queried for patients who underwent CM between 2005 and 2018. mFI-5 score was determined by assigning 1 point for comorbidities including: diabetes mellitus, hypertension, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and dependent health status. Univariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to determine associations between mFI-5 score and postoperative complications. RESULTS: A total of 1075 patients undergoing CMs were queried and stratified into the following groups: mFI = 0 (n = 412 [38.3%]), mFI = 1 (n = 452 [42.0%]), and mFI ≥ 2 (n = 211 [19.6%]). Univariate analysis showed association between higher mFI-5 scores with older age, higher American Society of Anesthesiologists Classification class, obesity, smoking, dyspnea, and systemic sepsis. Higher mFI-5 was associated with a greater proportion of cumulative surgical complications, cumulative medical complications, pneumonia, myocardial infarction, cumulative morbidity, readmissions, unplanned readmissions, and reoperations. Multivariable analyses found associations between greater mFI-5 score and cumulative morbidity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.95, confidence interval [CI]: 1.29-2.96, P = .002), any surgical complication (OR = 1.80, CI: 1.15-2.79, P = .010), readmission (OR = 1.81, CI: 1.01-3.26, P = .047), and reoperations (OR = 1.96, CI: 1.04-3.68, P = .037). CONCLUSION: Evaluating mFI-5 can help assess the risk of postoperative complications for patients undergoing CM. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.

Prognostic Value of a Laboratory Index of Frailty in Older Patients Hospitalized for COVID-19: The COMEPA Study.

BACKGROUND: Several indexes based on clinical and laboratory tests to identify frailty and to predict mortality have been produced. Only two studies, mixing clinical and laboratory parameters were made about a frailty index made of laboratory tests (FI-Lab) and mortality in older patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The aim of this study was to explore the accuracy and precision of an FI-Lab constructed with some common bio-humoral tests and mortality in a cohort of patients hospitalized for COVID-19. METHODS: The FI-Lab was constructed using 40 different bio-humoral tests during the first four days of hospitalization, with a score from 0 to 1. The association between FI-Lab and mortality was assessed using a multivariate Cox's regression analysis, reported as hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The accuracy of the FI-Lab was reported as area under the curve (AUC) and the precision with the C-Index. RESULTS: 376 patients (mean age: 65 years; 53.7% males) were initially included. During the follow-up period, 41 deceased. After adjusting for five different factors, an FI-Lab value >0.54, the median value of our cohort, was associated with a relative risk about five times greater than lower values. Modeling FI-LAB as a continous variable, each increase in 0.01 points was associated with an increased risk in mortality of 8.4% (HR=1.084; 95%CI: 1.039-2.044). The FI-Lab was highly accurate (AUC=0.91; 95%CI: 0.87-0.95) and precise (C-Index=0.81) in predicting death. CONCLUSIONS: A simple index based on common laboratory tests can be used to predict mortality among older people hospitalized for COVID-19.

Self-Reported Oral Diseases and Their Association with the Frailty index among Older Japanese People: Four-Year Follow-Up.

BACKGROUND: Oral health is a relevant component for overall health. Oral disease onset at an early age and may harm several health dimensions, especially among older people, and has been associated with frailty. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate associations between the Frailty Index (FI) and self-reported oral diseases among older, community-dwelling Japanese people. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and prospective analyses were performed. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We analyzed data from 2,529 participants at the baseline and four-year follow-up of the Nihon University Japanese Longitudinal Study of Aging, which had a four-year follow-up. MEASUREMENTS: We used the self-reported number of teeth, self-reported satisfaction with dentures, and self-reported ability to chew hard food as independent variables. We computed an FI that included 40 deficits as the dependent variable. The FI score ranged from 0 to 1, with a higher score associated with adverse health outcomes and mortality. Considering a gamma distribution and controlling for age, gender, marital status, education, working status, and residence area, we fitted generalized linear models. RESULTS: We found that dissatisfied denture users had a 2.1% (95% CI 1.006-3.279) higher frailty score than non-denture users at the baseline and a 2.1% (95% CI 0.629-3.690) higher frailty score than non-denture users at the four-year follow-up. In the cross-sectional analysis, with each additional reported tooth at the baseline, the FI score was lower by 1.5% (95% CI -2.878 to -0.208) at the four-year follow-up. In both the cross-sectional and the prospective analyses, the FI scores increased as the ability to chew hard food decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Self-reported oral diseases are associated with the FI score cross-sectionally and prospectively. Identifying factors prospectively associated with frailty may improve strategies for the next generation of older people. Considering oral diseases may help clinicians personalize treatment plans for older people.

The Modified Five-Item Frailty Index, Mortality, and Hospital Length of Stay in Geriatric Traumatic Fall Injuries.

This study investigates the association between frailty, measured by the modified five-item frailty index (mFI-5), with inpatient mortality and hospital length of stay for geriatric patients with fall-related injuries. Despite falls being major contributors to morbidity and mortality in those over 65, the interaction between frailty and post-fall outcomes remains underexplored. Data for patients aged 65 and above, admitted between 2014-2020 to Rhode Island Hospital's trauma service for fall-related injuries, were extracted from its Trauma Registry. Frailty scores were retrospectively assigned using mFI-5. Logistic- and linear-regression analyses examined the relationship between mFI-5 scores, mortality, and hospital length-of-stay. Among 6,782 patients (mean age: 81.7 ± 8.66 years), higher frailty scores correlated with increased inpatient mortality (OR: 1.259; 95% CI: 1.14-1.39; P<0.000) and longer hospital stays (Coeff.: 0.460; 95% CI: 0.35-0.57, P<0.000). Notably, age showed a negative association with hospital length of stay but no significant association with inpatient mortality.

Relationship between tooth loss and progression of frailty: Findings from the English longitudinal study of aging.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between indicators of oral health status (number of teeth; denture use) and the progression of frailty amongst adults in England. METHODS: The subjects were participants of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging [ELSA] aged 50 years and older. We used panel data from three waves of the study (Waves 7-9). Indicators of oral health comprised the number of teeth (≥20; 10-19; 1-9; 0) and combination of removable denture usage and the number of teeth. Frailty was assessed by the 32-item Frailty Index (FI). Covariates were age, sex, education, marital status, smoking, alcohol, and physical activity. The longitudinal relationship between oral health indicators and change in FI were investigated using linear mixed-effect models considering frailty as a time-varying variable. RESULTS: Among the 7,557 participants, compared to those people with 20 or more teeth, change in frailty over time was significantly higher among those with less than 20 teeth: 10-19 teeth (ß: 0.249, 95 %CI: 0.116 to 0.382), and 1-9 teeth (ß: 0.238, 95 %CI: 0.053 to 0.423) and being edentate (ß: 0.286, 95 %CI: 0.106 to 0.465) when adjusting for co-variates. The rise in frailty over time was significantly higher among those with fewer teeth (<20 teeth), including those using dentures. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This longitudinal analysis suggests that tooth loss is associated with accelerated progression of frailty and utilizing dentures did not reduce the trend in frailty. Thus, maintaining a functional natural dentition is important in healthy ageing.

Relationship between frailty and executive function by age and sex in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Frailty reflects age-related damage to multiple physiological systems. Executive dysfunction is often a presenting symptom of diseases characterized by cognitive impairment. A decline in cardiovascular health is associated with worse executive function. We tested the hypothesis that higher frailty would be associated with executive dysfunction and that cardiovascular health would mediate this relationship. Middle- and older-aged adults at baseline (n = 29,591 [51% female]) and 3-year follow-up (n = 25,488 [49% females]) from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (comprehensive cohort) were included. Frailty was determined at baseline from a 61-item index, a cumulative cardiovascular health score was calculated from 30 variables at baseline, and participants completed a word-color Stroop task as an assessment of executive function. Multiple linear regressions and mediation analyses of cardiovascular health were conducted between frailty, Stroop interference-condition reaction time, and cardiovascular health in groups stratified by both age and sex (middle-aged males [MM], middle-aged females [MF], older-aged males [OM], older-aged females [OF]). Frailty (MM, 0.15 ± 0.05; MF, 0.16 ± 0.06; OM, 0.21 ± 0.06; OF, 0.23 ± 0.06) was negatively associated with cardiovascular health (MM, 0.12 ± 0.08; MF, 0.11 ± 0.07; OM, 0.20 ± 0.10; OF, 0.18 ± 0.09; ß > 0.037, p < 0.001), as well as the Stroop reaction time at 3-year follow-up (MM, 23.7 ± 7.9; MF, 23.1 ± 7.3; OM, 32.9 ± 13.1; OF, 30.9 ± 12.0; ß > 2.57, p < 0.001) across all groups when adjusted for covariates. Cardiovascular health was a partial (~ 10%) mediator between frailty and reaction time, aside from MFs. In conclusion, higher frailty levels are associated with executive dysfunction, which was partially mediated by cardiovascular health. Strategies to improve frailty and better cardiovascular health may be useful for combatting the age-related decline in executive function.

Prevalence and impact of frailty in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis based on modified frailty index.

Frailty has been linked to unfavorable postoperative outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the prevalence of frailty among CRC surgery patients and its association with mortality and postoperative complications, as evaluated by the modified frailty index (mFI), have not been thoroughly investigated and necessitate clarification. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and CBM databases were systematically searched for relevant studies (up to January 2024), and the pooled prevalence and odds ratio (OR) estimate were calculated. A total of 16 studies containing 245 747 patients undergoing CRC surgery were included. The prevalence of frailty among CRC surgery patients was 31% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 20%-42%; I2 = 100%, p < 0.001). In patients undergoing CRC surgery, frailty was associated with a higher incidence of postoperative complications (OR = 1.94; 95% CI = 1.47-2.56; I2 = 91.9%, p < 0.001), but it did not exhibit any significant correlation with the 30-day mortality (OR = 5.17; 95% CI = 0.39-68.64; I2 = 94.4%, p < 0.001). Frailty is common in CRC surgery and exerts a significant negative impact on the postoperative outcomes. Future research could explore the potential of the mFI to facilitate a more streamlined and precise quantification of frailty, thereby establishing a refined understanding of its correlation with surgery prognosis.

The mouse Social Frailty Index (mSFI): a novel behavioral assessment for impaired social functioning in aging mice.

Various approaches exist to quantify the aging process and estimate biological age on an individual level. Frailty indices based on an age-related accumulation of physical deficits have been developed for human use and translated into mouse models. However, declines observed in aging are not limited to physical functioning but also involve social capabilities. The concept of "social frailty" has been recently introduced into human literature, but no index of social frailty exists for laboratory mice yet. To fill this gap, we developed a mouse Social Frailty Index (mSFI) consisting of seven distinct assays designed to quantify social functioning which is relatively simple to execute and is minimally invasive. Application of the mSFI in group-housed male C57BL/6 mice demonstrated a progressively elevated levels of social frailty through the lifespan. Conversely, group-housed females C57BL/6 mice manifested social frailty only at a very old age. Female mice also showed significantly lower mSFI score from 10 months of age onward when compared to males. We also applied the mSFI in male C57BL/6 mice under chronic subordination stress and in chronic isolation, both of which induced larger increases in social frailty compared to age-matched group-housed males. Lastly, we show that the mSFI is enhanced in mouse models that show accelerated biological aging such as progeroid Ercc1-/Δ and Xpg-/- mice of both sexes compared to age matched littermate wild types. In summary, the mSFI represents a novel index to quantify trajectories of biological aging in mice and may help elucidate links between impaired social behavior and the aging process.

Utilizing the Frailty Index to Predict Long-term Mortality in Patients Undergoing Major Lower Extremity Amputation.

The 5-factor modified Frailty Index (mFI-5) is a risk-stratification tool utilized to predict complications and mortality following major lower extremity (LE) amputation. However, its prognostic value for long-term mortality is unknown. The study aim was to assess whether a high mFI-5 score relates to long-term mortality following major LE amputation for chronic wounds. Patients ≥60 years who underwent major LE amputation from 2017 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Data regarding demographics, comorbidities, perioperative factors, amputation type, and postoperative complications was collected and mFI-5 was calculated. Survival analysis was performed with Kaplan-Meier curves and differences were assessed with Log-Rank test. A total of 172 patients were identified. Mean age was 70.7 ± 8.0 years. Median time to ambulation was 3.7 months (IQR 4.0). By final follow-up of 17.5 ± 15.9 months, ambulatory rate was 51.7% (n = 89), overall mortality 36.0% (n = 62), 1-year mortality 14.0% (n = 24), and 3-year mortality 27.9% (n = 48). Patients with an mFI-5 of ≥4 (26.7%, n = 46) compared with patients with mFI-5 <4 (73.3%, n = 126) had a higher rate of prolonged postoperative LOS (34.8% vs 19.8%, p = .042), overall mortality (52.2% vs 30.2%, p = .008), 1-year mortality (23.9% vs 10.3%, p = .023), and 3-year mortality (45.7% vs 21.4%, p = .002). Multivariate analysis demonstrated mFI-5 was an independent predictor of 3-year mortality (OR 2.35, p = .043). At a threshold ≥4, the mFI-5 demonstrated utility in predicting long-term mortality. The value of this prognostic indicator is in its preoperative application of assessing risk of mortality, which should be utilized in conjunction with other measures.

Pneumonia in Geriatric Patients and Prediction of Mortality Based on the Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI), CURB-65, Frailty Index (FI), and FI-Lab21 Scores.

Background Elderly individuals have higher rates of morbidity, death, and financial burden due to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Objectives The study aimed to assess the outcomes of geriatric pneumonia patients and the prediction of mortality based on the pneumonia severity index (PSI), CURB-65 (confusion, urea, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and 65-year-old score), frailty index (frailty index), and FI-Lab21 (21-item frailty index based on laboratory) scores. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted on 100 elderly patients (≥ 65 years) with CAP. PSI, CURB-65, FI, and FI-Lab21 scores were determined. The outcome measures were 30-day mortality and the risk factors of mortality. The mortality predictive value of scores were compared. Results The mean age of the study subjects was 72.14 ± 6.1 years. Specifically, 76 (76%) were male, and 24 (24%) were females. During the follow-up, there was a 30-day mortality rate of 57%. On performing multivariate regression, the PSI score and severely frail were significant independent risk factors of mortality, with an odds ratio of 1.046 and 52.213, respectively. Area under the ROC curve (AUC) showed that the performance of the PSI score (AUC: 0.952; 95% CI: 0.910-0.994), CURB-65 score (AUC: 0.936; 95% CI: 0.893-0.978), and severely frail (AUC: 0.907; 95% CI: 0.851-0.962) was outstanding, while FI-Lab21 (AUC: 0.515; 95% CI: 0.400-0.631) was non-significant. Among all the parameters, the PSI score was the best predictor of mortality at the cutoff points of >121 with a diagnostic accuracy of 92%. Conclusion CAP in the elderly carries a high mortality rate. Out of PSI, CURB-65, FI, and FI-Lab21 scores, the PSI holds the best predicting ability for mortality.

Association between frailty index based on laboratory tests and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with heart failure.

BACKGROUND: The frailty index based on laboratory tests (FI-lab) can identify individuals at increased risk for adverse health outcomes. The association between the FI-lab and all-cause mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) in the intensive care unit (ICU) remains unknown. This study aimed to determine the correlation between FI-lab and all-cause mortality to evaluate the impact of FI-lab on the prognosis of critically ill patients with HF. METHODS: This retrospective observational study utilized data extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database. The FI-lab, which consists of 33 laboratory tests, was constructed. Patients were then grouped into quartiles (Q1-Q4) based on their FI-lab scores. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare all-cause mortality among the four groups. A Cox proportional hazard analysis was conducted to examine the association between the FI-lab score and all-cause mortality. The incremental predictive value of adding FI-lab to classical disease severity scores was assessed using Harrell's C statistic, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and net reclassification improvement (NRI). RESULTS: Among 3021 patients, 838 (27.74%) died within 28 days, and 1400 (46.34%) died within a 360 day follow-up period. Kaplan-Meier analysis indicated that patients with higher FI-lab scores had significantly higher risks of all-cause mortality (log-rank P < 0.001). Multivariable Cox regression suggested that FI-lab, evaluated as a continuous variable (for each 0.01 increase), was associated with increased 28 day mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.01-1.03), P < 0.001] and 360 day mortality [HR 1.02, 95% CI (1.01-1.02), P < 0.001]. When assessed in quartiles, the 28 day mortality risk [HR 1.66, 95% CI (1.28-2.15), P < 0.001] and 360 day mortality risk [HR 1.48, 95% CI (1.23-1.8), P < 0.001] were significantly higher for FI-lab Q4 compared with FI-lab Q1. FI-lab significantly improved the predictive capability of classical disease severity scores for 28 and 360 day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: In ICU patients diagnosed with HF, the FI-lab is a potent predictor of short-term and long-term mortality in critically ill patients with HF. The active use of FI-lab to identify high-risk groups among critically ill HF patients and initiate timely interventions may have significant value in improving the prognosis of critically ill patients with HF.

Association between inflammatory markers, body composition and frailty in home-dwelling elderly: an 8-year follow-up study.

Frailty has been linked to inflammation and changes in body composition, but the findings are inconsistent. To explore this, we used the Frailty Index (FI) definition to (1) investigate the association between levels of inflammatory markers (baseline) and change in FI score after 8 years of follow-up and (2) investigate the longitudinal associations between inflammatory markers, body composition, and frailty. Home-dwelling elderly (≥ 70 years) were invited to participate in the study and re-invited to a follow-up visit 8 years later. This study includes a total of 133 participants. The inflammatory markers included were high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and glycoprotein acetyls (Gp-acetyls). We used the body composition markers fat mass, fat-free mass, and waist circumference. The FI score consisted of 38 variables. Additional clinical assessments such as blood pressure and body mass index (BMI), as well as information about daily medications, were collected at both visits. Linear regression model and Spearman's rank correlation were used to investigate associations. We showed that the FI score increased after 8 years, and participants with higher hs-CRP levels at baseline had the largest change in the FI score. Changes in fat mass were significantly correlated with changes in hs-CRP and IL-6, and changes in waist circumference were significantly correlated with changes in TNF-α. The use of drugs increased during the 8 years of follow-up, which may have attenuated the associations between inflammation and frailty. However, elevated concentrations of hs-CRP in the elderly may be associated with an increased risk of frailty in subsequent years.

Joint association of cardiovascular health and frailty with all-cause and cause-specific mortality: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Poor cardiovascular health (CVH) and physical frailty were reported to increase mortality risk, but their joint effects have not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to explore the separate and joint effects of CVH and frailty on mortality based on two perspectives of Life's Essential 8 (LE8) and Framingham Risk Score (FRS). METHODS: 21 062 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2007 to 2018 were involved in this study. CVH was evaluated by the LE8 and FRS, and categorized into low, moderate and high CVH groups. Cox proportional hazard models were applied to estimate the separate and joint associations of CVH and frailty index (FI) with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality. RESULTS: Over a median follow-up period of 87 months (95% CI: 86.0-88.0), 2036 deaths occurred. The separate linear dose-response relationships between CVH, frailty and mortality were observed (nonlinear P > .05). The combination of low CVH/frailty was negatively associated with all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR) and 95%CI: low LE8*FI, 5.30 (3.74, 7.52); high FRS*FI, 4.34 (3.20, 5.88)], CVD mortality [low LE8*FI, 6.57 (3.54, 12.22); high FRS*FI, 7.29 (3.92, 13.55)] and cancer mortality [low LE8*FI, 1.99 (1.14, 3.25); high FRS*FI, 2.32 (1.30, 4.15)], with high CVH/fit group as reference. Further stratified analyses showed that the combined burden of mortality from frailty and low CVH was greater among the young and females. CONCLUSIONS: Low CVH and frailty were independently and jointly correlated with greater risk of all-cause, CVD and cancer deaths, especially among the young and females.

Elucidating the causal nexus and immune mediation between frailty and chronic kidney disease: integrative multi-omics analysis.

BACKGROUND: Empirical research has consistently documented the concurrent manifestation of frailty and chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the existence of a reverse causal association or the influence of confounding variables on these correlations remains ambiguous. METHODS: Our analysis of 7,078 participants from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey(NHANES) (1999-2018) applied weighted logistic regression and Mendelian Randomization (MR) to investigate the correlation between the frailty index (FI) and renal function. The multivariate MR analysis was specifically adjusted for type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Further analysis explored 3282 plasma proteins to link FI to CKD. A two-step network MR highlighted immune cells' mediating roles in the FI-CKD relationship. RESULT: Genetically inferred FI and various renal function markers are significantly correlated, as supported by NHANES analyses. Multivariate MR analysis revealed a direct causal association between the FI and CKD. Additionally, our investigation into plasma proteins identified Tmprss11D and MICB correlated with FI and CKD, respectively. A two-step network MR to reveal 15 immune cell types, notably Central Memory CD4+ T cells and Lymphocytes, as crucial mediators between FI and CKD. CONCLUSION: Our work establishes a causal connection between frailty and CKD, mediated by specific immune cell profiles. These findings highlight the importance of immune mechanisms in the frailty-CKD interplay and suggest that targeting shared risk factors and immune pathways could improve management strategies for these conditions. Our research contributes to a more nuanced understanding of frailty and CKD, offering new avenues for intervention and patient care in an aging population.

Sarcopenic obesity and pre-sarcopenia contribute to frailty in community-dwelling Italian older people: data from the FRASNET study.

BACKGROUND: The ageing process is characterized by a change of body composition with an increase of fat mass and a reduction of muscle mass. Above a certain threshold these alterations configure a condition named sarcopenic obesity (SO). SO is associated with physical frailty in Asian and Brazilian populations. SO impacts on physical frailty in other ethnic groups but its influence on general frailty which is multidimensional and includes cognitive, social and physical factors, remain insufficiently explored in the Italian population. METHODS: Frailty was measured in community dwelling Italian older adults enrolled in the FRASNET study with the frailty index (FI). The FI quantifies frailty as the ratio of the number of present health deficits to the total number of health deficits considered. Regression analyses were performed to assess the association between body composition categories and frailty. Classification and regression tree models were run to evaluate the frailty predictors. RESULTS: One Thousand One Hundred Fourteen participants of the FRASNET study were included in the present analysis. The sample was composed for the 60.5% by females and its median age was 72 years. The median FI score was 0.11 (IQR 0.07-0.20); 234 individuals (21%) were frail (FI ≥ 0.25). SO (B 0.074, 95% C.I. 0.05-0.1, p < 0.001) and pre-sarcopenia (without obesity B 0.03, 95% C.I, 0.007-0.044, p < 0.001, with obesity B 0.11, 95% C.I. 0.05-0.16, p < 0.001) were associated with frailty. Fat mass percentage predicted frailty in people aged 65-70 years whereas, muscle strength predicted general frailty in people aged 70-81 years. CONCLUSION: Pre-sarcopenia and SO represent potentially treatable predictors of frailty.