Frailty and pre-frailty in elderly type 2 diabetes mellitus: Determinants and adverse outcomes

Abstract

Background: Frailty is vulnerability to adverse outcomes resulting from an interaction of physical, socioeconomic and co-morbidity factors. The study aims to find out the prevalence of Frailty and its association
with risk factors and adverse outcomes associated with frailty in elderly Diabetes mellitus study subjects.
Methodology: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was done at a tertiary care centre in Karnataka, India.
224 Elderly diabetics were recruited for the study using systematic random sampling from diabetic
Registry. Frailty was assessed by using Multi-dimensional prognostic index by using questionnaire.
Results: Proportion of Frailty and Pre-Frailty in elderly diabetics the were 9.3% and 55.8% respectively.
Age, Duration of Diabetes Mellitus, number of Drugs were important determinants of frailty. Frailty
associated with adverse health outcomes like hypoglycemic episodes, need for hospitalisation and duration
of hospital stay.
Conclusion: Recognizing and understanding frailty is important as it predicts long term outcomes and
frailty may be reversible in early stage. Frailty also opens up a new conundrum and challenge for public
health, incites research.