The study, conducted by the Women's Health and Aging Studies group, analyzed data from 599 women aged 70-79 years with a body mass index over 18.5 kg/m. Those classified as overweight showed a significant association with pre-frailty (a precursor condition to frailty), while being obese was associated with both pre-frailty and frailty.
A pattern of defining frailty indicators was observed in all frail women in the study, including slowness, weakness, and low activity.
In addition to its association with obesity, this research demonstrated that frailty is associated with diabetes, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular occlusive disease, and osteoarthritis. With the increasing levels of obesity in America, older adults may have to face greater risk of frailty in addition to obesity related disease, say researchers.
Corresponding author Caroline S. Blaum, MD, MS is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan Medical School. She can be reached at cblaum@umich.edu.
This study is published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Media wishing to receive a PDF of this article please contact medicalnews@bos.blackwellpublishing.net.
About the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society
The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society publishes articles that are relevant in the broadest terms to the clinical care of older persons. Such articles may span a variety of disciplines and fields and may be of immediate, intermediate, or long-term potential benefit to clinical practice.
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Journal of the American Geriatrics Society