Cited by 428Frailty in Older AdultsNutrition and Health in AgingAging, Health, and Disability

Prognostic significance of potential frailty criteria

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Rothman, Marc D., Leo‐Summers, Linda, Gill, Thomas M.·2008·Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To determine the independent prognostic effect of seven potential frailty criteria, including five from the Fried phenotype, on several adverse outcomes. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Greater New Haven, Connecticut. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred fifty‐four initially nondisabled, community‐living persons aged 70 and older. MEASUREMENTS: An assessment of seven potential frailty criteria (slow gait speed, low physical activity, weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, cognitive impairment, and depressive symptoms) was completed at baseline and every 18 months for 72 months. Participants were followed with monthly telephone interviews for up to 96 months to determine the occurrence of chronic disability, long‐term nursing home (NH) stays, injurious falls, and death. RESULTS: In analyses adjusted for age, sex, race, education, number of chronic conditions, and the presence of the other potential frailty criteria, three of the five Fried criteria (slow gait speed, low physical activity, and weight loss) were independently associated with chronic disability, long‐term NH stays, and death. Slow gait speed was the strongest predictor of chronic disability (hazard ratio (HR)=2.97, 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.32–3.80) and long‐term NH stay (HR=3.86, 95% CI=2.23–6.67) and was the only significant predictor of injurious falls (HR=2.19, 95% CI=1.33–3.60). Cognitive impairment was also associated with chronic disability (HR=1.82, 95% CI=1.40–2.38), long‐term NH stay (HR=2.64, 95% CI=1.75–3.99), and death (HR=1.54, 95% CI=1.13–2.10), and the magnitude of these associations was comparable with that of weight loss. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide strong evidence to support the use of slow gait speed, low physical activity, weight loss, and cognitive impairment as key indicators of frailty while raising concerns about the value of self‐reported exhaustion and muscle weakness.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.02008.x

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  • Despite these criticisms, the broad strategy of defining frailty by clusters of variables has been independently validated.

    “Nonetheless, despite these criticisms, the general approach of clusters of variables to define a frailty phenotype has been independently validated (73, 74).”

    From Frailty in elderly people (2013) · cites this paper as [74]

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Authors
Rothman, M. D., Leo‐Summers, L., & Gill, T. M.
Affiliations
Yale University (US)
Corresponding author
Rothman, Marc D.
Venue
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2008-12
Volume
56
Issue
12
Pages
2211-2216
ISSN
  • 0002-8614 (ISSN-L)
  • 1532-5415
OpenAlex
W2111326370
Cited by
428
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 44 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 33 · 2013: 34 · 2012: 29
FWCI
8.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institute on Aging (R01AG022993, R37AG017560, K24AG021507, T32 AG1934, T32AG019134, P30AG021342)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Geriatrics and Gerontology › Frailty in Older Adults
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nutrition and Health in Aging
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
Keywords
frailty, Fried criteria, slow walking, physical activity, weight loss, cognitive impairment, exhaustion, muscle weakness, chronic disability, falls, mortality, older adults, prognostic factors
MeSH terms
Aged, Female, Humans, Male, Prognosis, Prospective Studies, Geriatric Assessment, Frail Elderly

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