The correlation between nutrition and frailty and the receiver operating characteristic curve of different nutritional indexes for frailty

BACKGROUND: Frailty is a kind of geriatric syndrome, which is very common in the elderly. Patients with malnutrition are at higher risk of frailty. This study explored the correlation between nutrition and frailty and compared the receiver operating characteristic curve of different nutritional indexes for frailty. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 179 inpatients aged ≥65 years old. Frailty was measured using Fried Frailty Phenotype, handgrip strength was measured using JAMAR@Plus and the 4.57 m usual gait speed was measured using a stopwatch. Comprehensive nutritional assessment refers to the application of Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) to assess the nutritional status of patients. RESULTS: Compared with the non-frailty group, the upper arm circumference, calf circumference, hemoglobin, albumin, prealbumin, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein in the frailty group were lower (P < 0.05). Comprehensive nutritional assessment, whether as a categorical variable or a continuous variable, was significantly correlated with frailty (P < 0.05). Model1 showed that the risk of frailty in malnourished patients was 3.381 times higher than that in well nourished patients (P = 0.036). Model2 showed that the risk of frailty decreased by 13.8% for every 1 point increase in MNA score (P = 0.009). The area under the curves of albumin, prealbumin and hemoglobin was larger (AUC > 0.65), AUC was 0.718, 0.693 and 0.743, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that malnutrition is closely related to frailty. As for single nutritional indexes, albumin, prealbumin and hemoglobin were found to be associated with frailty. Further cohort studies are needed to verify their ability to screen for frailty.