100 CENTRAL ADIPOSITY IS AN INDEPENDENT PREDICTOR FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRAILTY IN COMMUNITY DWELLING OLDER ADULTS.

Introduction: Two demographic trends have emerged worldwide which are of growing public health and economic concern, namely increased life expectancy and obesity. Frailty indicates those older adults who are susceptible to adverse health outcomes. The relationship between increased adiposity and frailty has yet to be explored longitudinally in older adults. This study aimed to determine if Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥30 kg.m2 or central adiposity is a risk factor for the development of frailty in older adults.Methods: Prospective follow up study. 2,258 community dwelling participants ≥ 65 years completed a baseline assessment and follow up assessment two years later. BMI was measured objectively. Central adiposity was defined as a waist circumference ≥ 88cm for women and ≥ 102 cm for men. A phenotypic definition of frailty including weakness, physical activity levels, gait velocity, weight loss and self-reported exhaustion was used. Ordinal regression was adopted to determine the predictive capability of BMI ≥30 kg.m2 and central adiposity for the onset of frailty at follow up for previously robust older adults.Results: BMI ≥30 kg.m2 and central adiposity were predictive of frailty at baseline (p ≤ 0.05). For adults who were robust at baseline 321(49.61%) presented with at least one frailty indicator at follow up. Fully adjusted analyses indicated that central adiposity (Odds ratio 1.4; 95% Confidence interval:1.0,2.0) at baseline was an independent risk factor for frailty at follow up. BMI ≥30 kg.m2 at baseline was not predictive of new onset frailty at follow up.Conclusions: From the current findings central adiposity was an independent risk factor for the development of frailty in older adults. This was evident after a short follow up period of just two years. Waist circumference needs to be included in the clinical assessment of the older adult to identify those at risk of developing frailty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]