Frequency of frailty and its association with cognitive status and survival in older Chileans

Cecilia Albala,1 Lydia Lera,1 Hugo Sanchez,1 Barbara Angel,1 Carlos Márquez,1 Patricia Arroyo,2 Patricio Fuentes2 1Public Health Nutrition Unit, Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology (INTA), University of Chile, 2Faculty of Medicine, Clinical Hospital, University of Chile, Santiago, Chile Background: Age-associated brain physiologic decline and reduced mobility are key elements of increased age-associated vulnerability.Objective: To study the frequency of frailty phenotype and its association with mental health and survival in older Chileans.Methods: Follow-up of ALEXANDROS cohorts designed to study disability associated with obesity in community-dwelling people 60 years and older living in Santiago, Chile. At baseline, 2,098 (67% women) of 2,372 participants were identified as having the frailty phenotype: weak handgrip dynamometry, unintentional weight loss, fatigue/exhaustion, five chair-stands/slow walking speed and difficulty walking (low physical activity). After 10–15 years, 1,298 people were evaluated and 373 had died. Information regarding deaths was available for the whole sample.Results: The prevalence of frailty at baseline (≥3 criteria) in the whole sample was 13.9% (women 16.4%; men 8.7%) and the pre-frailty prevalence (1–2 criteria) was 63.8% (65.0% vs 61.4%), respectively. Frailty was associated with cognitive impairment (frail 48.1%; pre-frail 21.7%; nonfrail 20.5%, P