Phenotypic frailty and multimorbidity are independent 18-year mortality risk indicators in older men

Timo E Strandberg,Annele Urtamo,Satu Jyväkorpi,Linda Lindström,Kaisu H Pitkälä,Mika Kivimäki

doi:10.1007/s41999-021-00472-w

Timo E Strandberg, Annele Urtamo + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-021-00472-w

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Abstract

Key summary pointsObjectiveMultimorbidity, phenotypic prefrailty and frailty are frequent in ageing populationsFindingsThis long-term follow-up of home-dwelling older men reveals the relationship of phenotypic frailty to long-term prognosis, independently of the presence of significant chronic diseases and disability. MessageAssessment of phenotypic frailty and already prefrailty provides extra clinical value for the assessment of prognosis in old age.

Highlights

Multimorbidity, is an increasingly frequent condition in ageing societies its prevalence naturally depends upon the definition of the conditions counted [1,2,3,4]
Frailty is characterised by increased vulnerability to inner and outer stressors and is a risk factor of disability, hospitalisation and death [6, 7]
The following criteria were used: (1) Weight loss defined as > 5% weight loss from baseline in 1974, or having current calculated BMI under 21 kg/m2 in 2000. (2) evaluation of physical weakness based on self-reported difficulty in carrying or lifting a grocery bag. (3) assessment of exhaustion based on reported low energy most or all of the time during the preceding 4 weeks. (4) evaluation of physical activity based on a question: “do you exercise regularly weekly?” the answer “no” was taken to denote low physical activity

Summary

Introduction

Multimorbidity, is an increasingly frequent condition in ageing societies its prevalence naturally depends upon the definition of the conditions counted [1,2,3,4]. The prevalence has two sharply rises, first one around 50–60 years of age when chronic diseases start to appear, and second one in older age. On the other hand, is a clinical geriatric syndrome with a prevalence of 10–12% among populations aged 70 years or older, the prevalence further increasing in older age groups [5, 6]. Frailty still lacks a consensus definition, but the two most frequent ways to define frailty are the phenotype method [8] and the calculation of cumulative deficits or frailty index [9]

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