TRANSITION PATTERNS OF FRAILTY SYNDROME IN COMMUNITY-DWELLING ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY

Background: Little information is available about transitional patterns related to frailty syndrome in elderly individuals living in the community. Objective: To assess transitional patterns and determine which frailty phenotype variables are more involved in this process. Design: Longitudinal study. Population: Community-dwelling elderly individuals in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Participants: Two hundred individuals over 65 years old. Measurements: The frailty phenotype was assessed at two different times, with a mean interval of 13 months. Comparison of the frequency distributions between the baseline and second assessment was conducted through Pearson's chi-squared test, and a binary logistic regression was conducted to assess the most important items in this transition. Results: Sixty-eight percent of the elderly were women, with an average age of 73.7 (+/- 6.1) years. The pre-frail group transitioned the most between evaluations. Eighty-five individuals transitioned among frailty levels: 46 showed improvement while 39 worsened. Individuals who did scored low on the handgrip strength test in the first evaluation were more likely to have their frailty level worsen. Among individuals who showed improvements, those who were positive for weight loss and poor physical activity level in the first evaluation were less likely to improve. In this study, a greater number of individuals showed improved frailty levels over 13 months than worsened levels. Conclusion: Poor handgrip strength, weight loss, and poor physical activity are the most influential variables in frailty transitioning, leading to worsening levels of frailty or difficulty in making improvements.