Frailty assessment in patients with Behçet's syndrome: A cross-sectional monocentric study

Evidence evaluating the association between pre-frailty and frailty, and risk of adverse health outcomes in patients with Behçet's syndrome (BS) is limited in the literature. The aim of this study was to characterize the prevalence of frailty and associated factors in a single-centre cohort of patients with BS.

Based on the International Study Group's criteria, this was a monocentric cross-sectional study of BS patients. The Fried frailty criteria were used to define frailty. The Turkish version of the Behçet's Disease Current Activity Form was used to measure the disease activity of BS. Damage index was assessed with the Behçet's Syndrome Overall Damage Index.

Forty-four patients were enrolled. According to Fried frailty criteria, patients were classified as 13.6% frail, 59% pre-frail, and 27.2% robust, respectively. Compared to pre-frail and robust patients, frail patients had higher levels of inflammatory markers at the time of diagnosis. CRP levels at time of diagnosis and at the last visit were higher in the frail group than in the pre-frail and robust groups (p=0.039 and p=0.023, respectively). When active drugs for BS were evaluated, systemic glucocorticoid (50%, p=0.030) and cyclophosphamide (33.3%, p=0.006) treatments were higher in the frail group.

Frailty and pre-frailty are commonly detected even in younger patients with BS. Inflammation can be described as potential determinants of frailty status.