Frailty in elderly chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine frailty prevalence among patients aged ≥65 diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and investigate its relationship with disease severity, hospitalization rates, and acute exacerbation frequency.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study evaluated 112 elderly patients with COPD. Patient records, pulmonary function tests, Modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scores, COPD Assessment Test (CAT) scores, and the previous year's exacerbations and hospitalizations were analyzed. Frailty was assessed using the FRAIL scale.

RESULTS

Frailty prevalence was 49.1% (55/112). A significant negative correlation was found between FRAIL and FEV1% values (r s : -0.695, 95% CI: -0.782 to -0.581, p <0.001). Conversely, FRAIL scores correlated positively with CAT (r s : 0.840, 95% CI: 0.773 to 0.888, p <0.001) and mMRC values (r s : 0.733, 95% CI: 0.631 to 0.811, p <0.001). Significant differences in CAT, mMRC, and FEV1% were observed between high and low frailty groups. COPD exacerbations and hospitalizations were significantly higher in patients with higher FRAIL scores (p <0.001).

CONCLUSION

The FRAIL scale is strongly associated with higher rates of exacerbations and hospitalizations in elderly COPD patients, reflecting increased disease severity and poorer clinical outcomes.