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Predictors of frailty in old age–results of a longitudinal study

  • Published:
The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

To investigate time-dependent predictors of frailty in old age longitudinally.

Design

Population-based prospective cohort study.

Setting

Elderly individuals were recruited via GP offices at six study centers in Germany. The course of frailty was observed over 1.5 years (follow up wave 4 and follow up wave 5).

Participants

1,602 individuals aged 80 years and older (mean age 85.4 years SD 3.2, with mean CSHA CFS 3.5 SD 1.6) at follow up wave 4.

Measurements

Frailty was assessed by using the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale (CSHA CFS), ranging from 1 (very fit) to 7 (severely frail).

Results

Fixed effects regressions revealed that frailty increased significantly with increasing age (ß=.2) as well as the occurrence of depression (ß=.5) and dementia (ß=.8) in the total sample. Changes in marital status and comorbidity did not affect frailty. While the effects of depression and dementia were significant in women, these effects did not achieve statistical significance in men.

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the role of aging as well as the occurrence of dementia and depression for frailty. Specifically, in order to delay frailty in old age, developing interventional strategies to prevent depression might be a fruitful approach.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Economics and Health Services Research, Hamburg Center for Health Economics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany

    André Hajek, C. Brettschneider & H.-H. König

  2. Department of Primary Medical Care, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Center, Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany

    T. Posselt, C. Lange & M. Scherer

  3. Institute of General Practice, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

    S. Mamone & B. Wiese

  4. Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty, Mannheim/Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany

    S. Weyerer & J. Werle

  5. Institute of General Practice, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany

    A. Fuchs & M. Pentzek

  6. Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

    J. Stein, T. Luck & S. G. Riedel-Heller

  7. Department of Psychiatry, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

    H. Bickel & E. Mösch

  8. Department of Psychiatry, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    K. Heser, F. Jessen & W. Maier

  9. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    F. Jessen

  10. German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany

    W. Maier

Authors
  1. André Hajek
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  2. C. Brettschneider
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  3. T. Posselt
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  4. C. Lange
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  5. S. Mamone
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  6. B. Wiese
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  7. S. Weyerer
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  8. J. Werle
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  9. A. Fuchs
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  10. M. Pentzek
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  11. J. Stein
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  12. T. Luck
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  13. H. Bickel
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  14. E. Mösch
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  15. K. Heser
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  16. F. Jessen
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  17. W. Maier
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  18. M. Scherer
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  19. S. G. Riedel-Heller
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  20. H.-H. König
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The Agecode Study Group

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Correspondence to André Hajek.

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Hajek, A., Brettschneider, C., Posselt, T. et al. Predictors of frailty in old age–results of a longitudinal study. J Nutr Health Aging 20, 952–957 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0634-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-015-0634-5

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