Frailty, health-related quality of life and mental well-being in older adults with cardiometabolic risk factors

Abstract

Objective: Frailty is an emergent health-related problem in older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the effect of frailty in elderly patients with cardiometabolic risk factors.

Methods: One-hundred and one patients 65 years or older responded to an HRQOL assessment using the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-26 questionnaire. Frailty was assessed using two indices: the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged (HRCA) vulnerability index and the Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES) index. In addition, these patients completed self-rating questionnaires assessing mental well-being [the 28-item version of the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28)] and depression (Geriatric Depression Scale).

Results: Based on the combination of HRCA and VES indices, 24 subjects (23.7%) met the criteria of frail. Persons > or = 75 years old and those with depressive mood or lower creatinine clearance had significantly lower WHOQOL-26 scores than their counterparts. Diabetes and macrovascular complications did not associate with the WHOQOL-26 scores. Compared with non-frail patients, the frail scored lower on the WHOQOL-26 questionnaire after adjusting for age, kidney dysfunction and depressive mood. Frail patients also reported significantly higher the GHQ-28 scores compared with non-frail patients.

Conclusions: Frail older adults had a significant lower HRQOL, as well as lower mental well-being, independent of age, diabetes, macrovascular complication, kidney dysfunction and depressed mood.