Frailty and mobility limitations in older Canadians with musculoskeletal diseases compared to other chronic medical conditions

Research suggests approximately 23% of Canadians over age 65 are frail. While unknown, these percentages may be higher in individuals living with chronic diseases. Using data from The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) this study will evaluate frailty, mobility, and chronic diseases to determine impact of frailty and limited mobility for men and women 45 years and older with musculoskeletal diseases in comparison to other chronic conditions. Frailty and mobility will be measured using two validated tools: the Fried phenotype that classifies older adults as frail, pre-frail or non-frail and the Short Performance Physical Battery that includes 3 physical assessments related to balance, and muscle strength. Once frailty and limited mobility are measured for chronic conditions, tailored prevention programs can be developed to improve patient outcomes and healthcare delivery. These programs will seek to optimize normal aging and reduce admissions to emergency departments, hospitals and long-term care facilities.

With this project we used Baseline (Comprehensive Cohort) and three-year follow-up data to examine the prevalence of frailty (using the FRIED Frailty Phenotype) and physical function limitation (using give performance-based tests as proposed by Mayhew et al.*: 4-m walk test, timed up and go, single leg stance test, chair rise test and grip strength test) among those with musculoskeletal (MSK) and non-MSK conditions. At Baseline, 9% were frail, 53% were pre-frail, and 37% were robust. At 3-year follow-up, approximately 8% were frail, 53% were pre-frail, and 39% were robust. Approximately 42% of participants had physical function limitation at Baseline and 39% had physical function limitation at follow up. Overall, 13% had only MSK conditions, 26% had only non-MSK conditions, 47% had MSK and non-MSK conditions, and 14% had no chronic conditions at Baseline.

*Mayhew AJ et al. The association between self-reported and performance-based physical function with activities of daily living disability in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2020 Jan 1;75(1):147-154. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glz122.