| Title: | A Frailty Index for UK Biobank Participants |
| Journal: | J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci |
| Published: | 14 Mar 2019 |
| Pubmed: | https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29924297/ |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/gly094 |
Publication 2742
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Abstract
Background: Frailty indices (FIs) measure variation in health between aging individuals. Researching FIs in resources with large-scale genetic and phenotypic data will provide insights into the causes and consequences of frailty. Thus, we aimed to develop an FI using UK Biobank data, a cohort study of 500,000 middle-aged and older adults.Methods: An FI was calculated using 49 self-reported questionnaire items on traits covering health, presence of diseases and disabilities, and mental well-being, according to standard protocol. We used multiple imputation to derive FI values for the entire eligible sample in the presence of missing item data (N = 500,336). To validate the measure, we assessed associations of the FI with age, sex, and risk of all-cause mortality (follow-up = 9.7 years) using linear and Cox proportional hazards regression models.
Results: Mean FI in the cohort was 0.125 (SD = 0.075), and there was a curvilinear trend toward higher values in older participants. FI values were also marginally higher on average in women than in men. In survival models, 10% higher baseline frailty (ie, a 0.1 FI increment) was associated with higher risk of death (hazard ratio = 1.65; 95% confidence interval: 1.62 1.68). Associations were stronger in younger participants than in older participants, and in men than in women (hazard ratios: 1.72 vs. 1.56, respectively).
Conclusions: The FI is a valid measure of frailty in UK Biobank. The cohort s data are open access for researchers to use, and we provide script for deriving this tool to facilitate future studies on frailty.
1 Author
- Williams DM et al.
1 Application
| Application ID | Title |
|---|---|
| 22224 | Prospective studies of ageing and age-related diseases |
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