1. Changes in Weight or Body Composition by Frailty Status: A Pilot Study.
- Author
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Spangler HB, Lynch DH, Gross DC, Cook SB, and Batsis JA
- Subjects
- Humans, Aged, Female, Male, Pilot Projects, Aged, 80 and over, Obesity physiopathology, Obesity epidemiology, Body Weight physiology, Independent Living, Frailty, Body Composition physiology, Weight Loss physiology, Frail Elderly statistics & numerical data, Geriatric Assessment methods, Body Mass Index
- Abstract
Weight loss may benefit older adults with obesity. However, it is unknown whether individuals with different frailty phenotypes have different outcomes following weight loss. Community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 ( n = 53) with a body mass index ≥30 kg/m
2 were recruited for a six-month, single-arm, technology-based weight loss study. A 45-item frailty index identified frailty status using subjective and objective measures from a baseline geriatric assessment. At baseline, n = 22 participants were classified as pre-frail (41.5%) and n = 31 were frail (58.5%), with no differences in demographic characteristics. While weight decreased significantly in both groups (pre-frail: 90.8 ± 2.7 kg to 85.5 ± 2.4 kg ( p < 0.001); frail: 102.7 ± 3.4 kg to 98.5 ± 3.3 kg ( p < 0.001), no differences were observed between groups for changes in weight ( p = 0.30), appendicular lean mass/height2 ( p = 0.47), or fat-free mass ( p = 0.06). Older adults with obesity can safely lose weight irrespective of frailty status using a technology-based approach. Further investigation is needed to determine whether the impact of specific lifestyle interventions differ by frailty status.- Published
- 2024
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