Increased frailty linked to dementia onset: Study

A landmark international study from the University of Queensland (UQ) found a link between increasing frailty in ageing and increased rates of dementia, with researchers saying targeted intervention strategies could reduce risk.
 
Data from nearly 30,000 people from four longitudinal United Kingdom and United States studies was tracked, allowing researchers to identify changes in people’s health 20 years before they were diagnosed with dementia.
 
The research paper, published in JAMA Neurology, states that finding markers of ‘both biological age and dementia risk is crucial to advancing dementia prevention and treatment strategies’.
 
‘Although frailty is a candidate for that role, the nature of the relationship between frailty and dementia is not well understood,’ it reads.
 
‘These findings suggest that frailty measurements may be used to identify high-risk population groups.
 
‘Frailty itself may represent a useful upstream target for behavioural and societal approaches to dementia prevention.’
 
UQ Centre for Health Services Research’s Dr David Ward said the accumulation of age-related conditions and increased frailty accelerates up to nine years prior to a dementia diagnosis.
 
‘Our findings show with every four to five additional health problems there is on average a 40% higher risk of developing dementia, while for people who are fitter the risk is lower,’ he said.
 
‘This suggests frailty is not merely a consequence of undetected dementia but contributes to its onset.
 
‘By understanding the connection between ageing, frailty and dementia we can use targeted intervention strategies to reduce risk and improve quality of life.’
 
New data published earlier this year found dementia-related issues are claiming more lives than ever before, with the condition on track to become the leading cause of death in Australia.
 
GP Dr Marita Long, who is a medical advisor for Dementia Australia, told newsGP frailty is something ‘we should really be paying more attention to’.
 
‘Picking this up early can possibly be a red flag for an underlying cognitive impairment,’ she said.
 
‘The big take home is that we’re just learning so much more about the important status of things like this, which is incredibly useful to get us thinking.’
 
So how can GPs assess this risk? Dr Long said she has been working with a physiotherapist, who gave her some invaluable advice.
 
‘When you greet your patient in the waiting room, you watch how they stand up – do they have the capacity to stand up easily or is this a challenge?’ she asked.
 
‘When they’re walking to your consulting room, if they can’t walk and talk at the same time then that, again, could be a marker that they can’t multitask.’
 
Dr Ward said the study’s findings should encourage ‘integrating frailty screening into routine check-ups’ and lead to earlier lifestyle interventions like exercise and nutrition.
 
Study co-author, Professor David Llewellyn from the University of Exeter Medical School, said the research was one of the most comprehensive examinations of this link and could ‘shape future clinical trials and prevention strategies’.
 
‘This study is crucial because it identifies frailty as a significant predictor of dementia risk, offering a potential pathway for early intervention to improve health outcomes,’ he said.
 
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