Epidemiology and Biostatistics Publications
Prospective association among diabetes diagnosis, HbA1c, glycemia, and frailty trajectories in an elderly population
Document Type
Conference Proceeding
Publication Date
10-1-2019
Journal
Diabetes Care
Volume
42
Issue
10
First Page
1903
Last Page
1911
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.2337/dc19-0497
Abstract
Objective: Frailty is a dynamic state of vulnerability in the elderly. We examined whether individuals with overt diabetes or higher levels of HbA or fasting plasma glucose (FG) experience different frailty trajectories with aging. Research Design and Methods: Diabetes, HbA , and FG were assessed at baseline, and frailty status was evaluated with a 36-item frailty index every 2 years during a 10-year follow-up among participants from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Mixed-effects models with age as time scale were used to assess whether age trajectories of frailty differed as a function of diabetes, HbA , and FG. Results: Among 5,377 participants (median age [interquartile range] 70 [65, 77] years, 45% men), 35% were frail at baseline. In a model adjusted for sex, participants with baseline diabetes had an increased frailty index over aging compared with those without diabetes. Similar findings were observed with higher levels of HbA , while FG was not associated with frailty. In a model additionally adjusted for income, social class, smoking, alcohol, and hemoglobin, only diabetes was associated with an increased frailty index. Among nonfrail participants at baseline, both diabetes and HbA level were associated with a higher increased frailty index over time. Conclusions: People with diabetes or higher HbA levels at baseline had a higher frailty level throughout later life. Nonfrail participants with diabetes or higher HbA also experienced more rapid deterioration of frailty level with aging. This observation could reflect a role of diabetes complications in frailty trajectories or earlier shared determinants that contribute to diabetes and frailty risk in later life. 1c 1c 1c 1c 1c 1c 1c