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Frailty and depression in centenarians
Oscar Ribeiro1, Natália Duarte2, Laetitia Teixeira3
1UnIFai and CINTESIS.ICBAS, University of Porto, Porto; ISSSP, Porto; University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
International Psychogeriatrics
|September 22, 2017
Summary
Physical frailty and depression frequently co-occur in centenarians. Frail individuals showed a significantly higher risk of depression, highlighting the need for integrated care strategies for this population.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Clinical Geriatrics
- Epidemiology of Aging
Background:
- Physical frailty and depression are common in older adults.
- Their co-occurrence in centenarians is understudied.
- This study investigates the link between frailty and depression in extreme longevity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the relationship between physical frailty and depression in centenarians.
- To identify characteristic depressive symptoms associated with frailty syndrome.
- To determine the prevalence and risk factors for depression in frail and pre-frail centenarians.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from two Portuguese Centenarian Studies.
- Assessed frailty using Fried's phenotype (exhaustion, weight loss, weakness, slowness, low activity).
- Measured depression with the Geriatric Depression Scale; analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.
Main Results:
- Sample: 91 centenarians (mean age 101.0, 85.7% female).
- Prevalence: 51.6% frail, 42.9% pre-frail, 5.5% robust. Depression prevalence was 35.2% overall (51.1% in frail, 21.1% in pre-frail, 0% in robust).
- Frail centenarians had a 3.92 times higher risk of depression (OR=3.92); only subjective health remained significant in multivariable analysis.
Conclusions:
- Depression is a frequent comorbid condition in frail and pre-frail centenarians.
- The findings suggest depression is an independent clinical condition in this population.
- Highlights the importance of assessing and managing depression in elderly individuals with frailty.
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