Men, Women Have Different Factors Tied to Increased Frailty in Older Age

THURSDAY, March 21, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- There are some common factors among women and men that are associated with increases in frailty components, as well as notable sex differences, according to a study recently published in the Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics.

Dayane Capra de Oliveira, Ph.D., from the Federal University of Sao Carlos in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and colleagues analyzed sex differences in factors associated with the increase in the number of frailty components. The analysis included 1,747 participants (aged 60 years and older) with 12 years of follow-up data as part of the ELSA study.

The researchers found that the increase in the number of frailty components in both sexes was associated with an advanced age (70 to 79 years and ≥80 years and older), low educational level, sedentary lifestyle, elevated depressive symptoms, joint disease, high C-reactive protein levels, perception of poor vision, and uncontrolled diabetes. In men, osteoporosis, low weight, heart disease, living with one or more people, and perception of poor hearing were associated with an increase in the number of frailty components. For women, high fibrinogen concentration, controlled diabetes, stroke, and perception of fair vision were associated with an increase in the number of frailty components. There was a lower increase in the number of frailty components among obese women and men and overweight women versus those in the ideal weight range.

"Our main findings showed that despite some common factors in women and men being associated to increases in frailty components, there were important sex differences that should be considered during clinical assessment," the authors write.

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