Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Anemia and Frailty in Older Australian Men: The Concord Health and Aging in Men Project

Background: Anemia and frailty are both common in older people and are associated with adverse health outcomes. There have been some cross-sectional studies of anemia and frailty but no longitudinal studies. The objectives of this study were to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between anemia and frailty in older Australian men. Methods: A total of 1666 men aged 70 years and older from the Concord Health and Aging in Men Project were assessed at baseline (2005-2007), 1314 men came for the 2-year follow-up between 2007 and 2009, and of those, 917 men returned for the 5-year follow-up between 2012 and 2013. The main outcome measurement was frailty, assessed using the Cardiovascular Health Study method. Anemia was defined as a hemoglobin levels < 13.0 g/dL. Covariates included age, income, body mass index, measures of health, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and inflammatory markers (white cell count and albumin). Results: The prevalence of anemia was 14.6% at baseline, 16.2% at 2-year follow-up, and 19.4% at 5-year follow-up. Prevalence of frailty was 9.1% at baseline and 9.7 % at both 2- and 5-year follow-up. Among men aged 70e74 at baseline, prevalence of frailty was 4.5%, but at 5-year follow-up the prevalence was 9.0%. There were significant cross-sectional associations between anemia and frailty in unadjusted [odds ratio, [OR 5.03 (95% confidence interval, CI 3.50, 7.25, P < .0001)] and in fully adjusted analysis [OR 2.90 (95% CI 1.87, 4.51, P < .0001)]. Generalized estimating equations time-lag models were used to examine the longitudinal associations between repeated measurements of hemoglobin and frailty. There were significant associations between measurements of anemia and frailty in unadjusted [OR 2.51 (95% CI 1.58, 4.00, P < .0001] and in fully adjusted analysis (OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.14, 2.85, P = .01). Conclusions: Anemia was associated with frailty in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses, and anemia precedes frailty in men who were nonfrail at baseline. Low hemoglobin levels among patients may alert clinicians to the increased risk of frailty. (C) 2015 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.