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And mortality in older Chinese adults: Results from the Beijing longitudinal study of aging

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The journal of nutrition, health & aging

Abstract

Objectives

Falls are well known to be associated with adverse health outcomes, especially when complicated by fracture. Falls are more common in people who are frail and readily related to several items in the frailty phenotype. Less is known about the relationship between falls and frailty defined as deficit accumulation. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between falls, fractures, and frailty based on deficit accumulation.

Design

Representative cohort study, with 8 year follow-up.

Setting

The Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA).

Participants

3,257 Chinese people aged 55+ years at baseline.

Measurements

A frailty index (FI) was constructed using 33 health deficits, but excluding falls and fractures. The rates of falls, fractures and death as a function of age and the FI were analyzed. Multivariable models evaluated the relationships between frailty and the risk of recurrent falls, fractures, and mortality adjusting for age, sex, and education. Self or informant reported fall and fracture data were verified against participants’ health records.

Results

Of 3,257 participants at baseline (1992), 360 people (11.1%) reported a history of falls, and 238 (7.3%) reported fractures. By eight years, 1,155 people had died (35.3%). The FI was associated with an increased risk of recurrent falls (OR=1.54; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.34–1.76), fractures (OR=1.07; 95% CI=0.94–1.22), and death (OR=1.50, 95% CI=1.41–1.60). The FI showed a significant effect on mortality in a multivariate Cox regression model (Hazard Rate=1.29, 95% CI=1.25–1.33). When adjusted for the FI, neither falls nor fractures were associated with mortality.

Conclusion

Falls and fractures were common in older Chinese adults, and associated with frailty. Only frailty was independently associated with death.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Xuanwu Hospital, The Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

    X. Fang, Z. Tang & C. Wang

  2. Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China

    J. Shi & P. Yu

  3. Department of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    J. Shi, X. Song, A. Mitnitski, C. Wang & Kenneth Rockwood

  4. National Research Council, Institute for Biodiagnostics-Atlantic, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    X. Song

  5. Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    A. Mitnitski

  6. Central for Health Care of the Elderly, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

    Kenneth Rockwood

  7. Centre for Health Care of the Elderly, QE II Health Sciences Centre, Capital District Health Authority, Dalhousie University, Suite 1421, 5955 Veterans Memorial Lane, Halifax, B3H 2E1, Canada

    Kenneth Rockwood

  8. Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Beijing Hospital, Ministry of Health, No.1 Dahua Road, Beijing, China

    P. Yu

Authors
  1. X. Fang
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  2. J. Shi
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  3. X. Song
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  4. A. Mitnitski
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  5. Z. Tang
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  6. C. Wang
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  7. P. Yu
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  8. Kenneth Rockwood
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to P. Yu or Kenneth Rockwood.

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Fang, X., Shi, J., Song, X. et al. And mortality in older Chinese adults: Results from the Beijing longitudinal study of aging. J Nutr Health Aging 16, 903–907 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-012-0368-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-012-0368-6

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