The Prevalence of Frailty and its Association with Cognitive Dysfunction among Elderly Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study from South India.

The Prevalence of Frailty and its Association with Cognitive Dysfunction among Elderly Patients on Maintenance Hemodialysis: A Cross-Sectional Study from South India. Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl. 2020 Jul-Aug;31(4):767-774 Authors: Gopinathan JC, Hafeeq B, Aziz F, Narayanan S, Aboobacker IN, Uvais NA Abstract Data are scarce regarding the prevalence of frailty in elderly patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (HD) in India. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study aimed to study the prevalence of frailty and cognitive dysfunction in patients aged 75 years or more undergoing maintenance HD in three tertiary care hospitals and associated stand-alone dialysis centers in North Kerala. Frailty was ascertained by two methods. In method 1 (physical performance measurement based), dichotomous scoring (0 or 1) of five domains, namely weight loss, exhaustion, low physical activity, weak grip, and slow walking, was done, and a score of 3/5 was used to define frailty. In method 2 (self-report measure based), scores on the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36-item Questionnaire (SF-36) physical function domain were used instead of hand grip strength and walking speed, and a score of <75 was defined as meeting the criteria for weakness and slow walking. Cognitive function was documented using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Instrument. A total of 899 patients were screened, of whom 44 were aged 75 years or more and 39 met the c...
Source: Saudi Journal of Kidney Diseases and Transplantation - Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Tags: Saudi J Kidney Dis Transpl Source Type: research