Association between oral frailty and a laboratory-based frailty index in older adults

To examine the association between oral frailty and laboratory-based Frailty Index (FI-lab) in older adults.

This cross-sectional study included patients aged ≥ 65 years who attended a frailty outpatient clinic. Oral frailty was assessed using the Oral Frailty five-item checklist. The FI-lab was constructed from 31 laboratory parameters, with frailty defined as an FI-lab value > 0.21. The association between oral frailty and FI-lab-defined frailty was examined using multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Among the 486 patients, the mean age was 77.9 ± 6.3 years, and 63.6% were women. The prevalence of oral frailty was 49.6%, and the median FI-lab value was 0.16. Oral frailty was significantly associated with FI-lab-defined frailty after adjustment for age, sex, and comorbidities (odds ratio 1.52, 95% confidence interval 1.01-2.29).

Oral frailty is associated with FI-lab-defined frailty, suggesting a relationship between oral function and latent physiological vulnerability, as captured by the FI-lab.