title: Frailty and Sarcopenia as Predictors of Adverse Health Outcomes in Persons With Diabetes Mellitus.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus is associated with premature aging, and chronic diabetes is associated with significant physical and cognitive complications. We aimed to examine frailty and sarcopenia rates and 6-month health outcomes in a clinic-based sample of patients with diabetes.
  
  
  
  This study was an observational study. Participants were recruited from June 2014 to August 2014, and follow-up was conducted 6 months after day of screening.
  
  
  
  Participants were recruited at outpatient endocrinology, geriatric, and internal medicine clinics affiliated with Saint Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri.
  
  
  
  Participants were persons with diabetes mellitus ages 50 to 90.
  
  
  
  Frailty and sarcopenia were identified using the FRAIL and SARC-F screens, respectively. A chart review of the patient's health record was performed on day of screening and at follow-up. A 6-month phone questionnaire was performed to evaluate health outcomes. Logistic regressions were used to evaluate health outcomes.
  
  
  
  A total of 198 persons with diabetes were recruited. Of the sample, 32.3% of sample was nonfrail, 38.9% was prefrail, and 28.8% was frail; 29.3% of the sample was identified to have sarcopenia. Prefrail [odds ratio (OR) 2.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15-7.42; P = .025] and frail (OR 4.70, 95% CI 1.67-13.19; P = .003) participants were more likely to be hospitalized overnight at 6-month follow-up. Frail (OR 3.57 95% CI 1.27-10.04; P = .016) participants were more likely to have a new activities of daily living (ADL) disability at follow-up; this association was not present for prefrail participants (OR 1.30, 95% CI .50-3.37; P = .59). Participants with sarcopenia were more likely to be hospitalized (OR 3.80, 95% CI 1.67-8.61; P = .001) and to have a new ADL disability (OR 4.24, 95% CI 1.76-10.18; P = .001) at 6-month follow-up.
  
  
  
  Among clinic patients with diabetes mellitus ages 50-90 year old, frailty and sarcopenia prevalence is high, and both syndromes are predictors of being hospitalized overnight and new ADL disability after 6 months.
authors: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Electronic address: liccini@slu.edu.
authors: Anthony
authors: A
authors: Liccini
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
authors: Theodore K
authors: TK
authors: Malmstrom
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D000073496:Frailty; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D055948:Sarcopenia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: FRAIL; Frailty; SARC-F; diabetes mellitus; sarcopenia