Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 7, 2025
Author Spotlight: Assessing Surgical Frailty with Point-of-Care Ultrasound of Quadriceps Muscles
Published on: July 26, 2024
Meta-Analysis: Prevalence of Frailty and Associated Adverse Events in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Isabel Carbery1, Oliver Todd2, Matthew Hale3
1Leeds Gastroenterology Institute, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK.
Background:
The number of adults aged over 60 years with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasing. Frailty, rather than chronological age, may be a better predictor of adverse health outcomes.
Aims:
To summarise current knowledge about frailty in adults with IBD including the prevalence and associations of frailty and IBD-related adverse outcomes.
Methods:
We performed an electronic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and EMBASE Classic databases using search terms for IBD and frailty from inception to 14 February 2024. All studies involving adults aged ≥ 16 with a confirmed diagnosis of IBD that included a frailty assessment were eligible for inclusion.
Results:
We included 23 observational studies involving 1,893,448 adults. Risk of bias was low for 18 studies and moderate for five. Twelve methods of frailty assessment were used, the most common being the Hospital Frailty Risk Score. Pooled prevalence of frailty in IBD patients was 18% (95% confidence interval (CI) 12.4%-25.6%). Meta-analysis of unadjusted events data demonstrated that frailty increased the risk of infection-related admissions following treatment in two studies (relative risk (RR) 1.9; 95% CI 1.2-3.0), post-operative morbidity in three (RR 2.0; 95% CI 1.4-2.7) and mortality in seven (RR 4.3; 95% CI 2.6-7.4).
Conclusions:
Frailty is common in patients with IBD and is associated with IBD-related adverse outcomes including infection-related admissions following treatment, post-operative morbidity and death. Future work should focus on developing risk assessment tools to better support decision making for older people with frailty and IBD.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease III: Diagnostic Studies and Management I-Nutritional Therapy
Diagnostic studies
A colonoscopy is the definitive screening test, distinguishing ulcerative colitis from other colon diseases with similar symptoms. During a colonoscopy test, inflamed mucosa with exudate ulcerations can be observed, and biopsies are taken to determine the histologic characteristics of the...
01:30Inflammatory Bowel Disease II: Crohn's Disease
Inflammatory bowel disease, commonly known as IBD, refers to a collection of disorders that lead to persistent inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The two types of IBD are ulcerative colitis, which impacts the colon, and Crohn's disease, which can involve any part of the gastrointestinal segment.
Crohn's disease
Crohn's disease is a chronic, systemic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that predominantly affects the gastrointestinal tract. It is marked by...
01:17Chronic Bowel Disorders: Introduction
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder affecting the gastrointestinal tract. The distinctive feature is recurrent abdominal pain associated with altered bowel movements, manifesting as constipation, diarrhea, or fluctuating between both. The...
01:27Inflammatory Bowel Disease I: Ulcerative Colitis
Inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD, encompasses a group of disorders characterized by chronic inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract.
Risk Factors
The exact cause of IBD remains unclear, although it is believed to be due to a mix of genetic, environmental, microbial, and immune factors. Genetic factors are significant in determining susceptibility to IBD, with family history being a critical risk factor. Individuals with a first-degree relative who has IBD are at...
01:29Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Pharmacological Management
Pharmacologic...
01:21Inflammatory Bowel Disease V: Surgical Management
Here are some common surgical interventions for IBD: