High frailty prevalence and disability in women with systemic lupus erythematosus

Frailty is prevalent among 17.9-26.9% of women diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), according to a study.

This study enrolled a group of women aged 18-70 years diagnosed with SLE. The Fried phenotype and SLICC-FI were utilized to measure frailty, and the level of agreement between the two metrics was calculated using a kappa statistic. In addition, various factors including physician-reported disease activity and damage, Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) scores, and Valued Life Activities (VLA) self-reported disability were assessed. Cross-sectional evaluations were performed to identify differences between frail and non-frail participants using each metric, and the relationship between frailty and disability was examined.

Out of the 67 participants, the study found that 17.9% met the criteria for frailty according to the Fried phenotype, while 26.9% were classified as frail based on the SLICC-FI metric. The comparison between the 2 metrics showed a moderate agreement (kappa = 0.41, P < 0.01). Frail individuals, as identified by both frailty metrics, exhibited more severe disease damage, poorer PROMIS scores, and higher levels of disability compared to their non-frail counterparts (P < 0.01 for both FP and SLICC-FI).

After adjusting for age, the association between frailty and disability remained significant. The odds of disability were notably higher in individuals classified as frail by either the Fried phenotype (odds ratio [OR] 4.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-18.8) or the SLICC-FI (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.3-15.8).

Reference
Lieber SB, Nahid M, Legge A, et al. Comparison of two frailty definitions in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2023;kead393. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead393. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37555816.