Individual frailty phenotype components and mortality in adults with type 2 diabetes: A UK Biobank study

Abstract

AimsThis study aimed to explore associations between frailty components and mortality and rank prognostic relevance of each frailty component in predicting mortality in adults with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D). MethodsWe used data from the UK Biobank. Associations and prognostic discrimination of individual Fried’s frailty components and the overall frailty status with all-cause and cardiovascular (CVD) mortality were investigated using Cox proportional-hazard models and C-index in adults with and without T2D. ResultsIn both populations the strongest association with all-cause mortality across all frailty components and overall frailty status was observed for slow walking pace (without T2D Hazard Ratio [HR] 2.25, 95 %CI: 2.12–2.38 and with T2D HR 1.95, 95 %CI: 1.67–2.28). Similarly, slow walking pace was associated with a greater risk of CVD mortality. The combination of T2D and slow walking pace had the strongest association with all-cause and CVD mortality, compared to the combination of T2D and other frailty components or overall frailty status. Slow walking pace also provided the greatest prognostic discrimination. ConclusionSlow walking pace has a stronger predictive factor for all-cause and CVD mortality compared to other frailty components and overall frailty status, especially when simultaneously present with T2D.