Frailty status is related to general and abdominal obesity in older adults

The association between frailty and obesity may differ according to the heterogeneity of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) phenotypes in older adults. We hypothesized that the use of simple indicators of general and abdominal obesity combined, may more accurately represent obesity and allow to further elucidate on how frailty status and its criteria are related to obesity. A sample of 1444 older adults, aged ≥65 years (Nutrition UP 65 study) was included in a cross-sectional analysis. General and abdominal obesity were defined according to World Health Organization BMI and WC cut-offs, and frailty by Fried et al. phenotype. A cluster analysis defined groups according to BMI and WC levels. Overweight (BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m²; 44.6%), general obesity (BMI ≥30.0 kg/m²; 39.0%), and abdominal obesity (WC >102 cm for men and >88 cm for women) were highly frequent (66.5%). Prefrailty (odds ratio [OR]: 2.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-3.57) and frailty (OR: 2.87; 95% CI: 1.58-5.22) were directly associated with the "general and abdominal obesity" cluster. Regarding frailty criteria, low handgrip strength (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.55-3.38) and weight loss (OR: 0.27; 95% CI: 0.14-0.52) were also associated with this cluster. In this sample of older adults presenting a high frequency of overweight and obesity, prefrailty and frailty are linked to higher levels of adiposity, but only when both general and abdominal obesity are present. Present results emphasize the importance of the evaluation of both BMI and WC in the geriatric clinical practice and suggest that older adults presenting both general and abdominal obesity should be routinely screened for frailty.