Association Between Frailty and Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Elderly Women: A Retrospective Study

This study evaluated the association between pelvic organ prolapse (POP), frailty, and sarcopenia to explore how POP treatment can extend healthy life expectancy in elderly women.

We conducted a retrospective study of prospectively collected data, comparing women with mild POP (stages 0-II) with those with advanced POP (stages III and IV). The inclusion criteria for this study were women who visited the clinic with at least one symptom of pelvic floor dysfunction and underwent imaging studies between April 2020 and November 2022. Initially, 119 patients met these inclusion criteria. Patients were excluded if they had a history of previous POP treatment, did not respond to the study survey, or were lost to follow-up. After applying these exclusion criteria, 82 patients were included in the final analysis, of whom 65 underwent surgery (laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy, colpocleisis, tension-free vaginal tape, and native tissue repair). Assessments included POP Quantification, Kihon Checklist, Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quality of Life (P-QOL) questionnaire, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), and Incontinence Symptom Questionnaire (ICIQ-SF). Pelvic muscles were measured using MRI or CT. Immunohistochemical analysis of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), estrogen receptor beta , and androgen receptor was performed on surgical specimens from 43 patients.

The median age of participants was 75 years. Of the 82 patients, 48 (58.5%) were classified as frail or pre-frail, and 22 (26.8%) exhibited motor impairment. Advanced POP (stages 3 and 4) was seen in 41 patients. These patients had more motor function impairments (advanced, 16; mild, 6; p = 0.01). Patients with advanced POP had poorer P-QOL, ICIQ-SF (median: 9.5 vs 4, p = 0.006) and OABSS (7 vs 4, p = 0.008) scores, and smaller pubococcygeus muscle diameter (2.5 vs 3 cm, p = 0.017). Postoperatively, significant improvements were seen in P-QOL (all domains except personal relationships: p < 0.001), total IPSS (11 vs 4, p < 0.001), OABSS (6 vs 5, p = 0.033), and ICIQ-SF scores (6 vs 2, p < 0.001). ERα expression was associated with preoperative frailty (r = -0.37, p = 0.014).

Advanced POP correlates with poorer QOL, worse urinary symptoms, and reduced pubococcygeus muscle diameter, consistent with sarcopenia, compared with mild POP.