To investigate frailty prevalence specifically in older Chinese maintenance hemodialysis patients and analyze its correlation with long-term survival.
Key Findings:
85.3% of older patients had varying degrees of frailty, with 52.7% classified as pre-frail (P < 0.01).
Increased age and low albumin levels were identified as clinical correlates of frailty.
Patients with frailty syndrome had a 3–5-fold higher mortality risk compared to non-frail individuals (P < 0.01).
Interpretation:
Frailty is highly prevalent among older hemodialysis patients and is closely correlated with increased mortality.
Limitations:
The study was conducted in a single center, which may limit generalizability, particularly as patients with cognitive impairment and malignant diseases were excluded, potentially skewing the findings.
Conclusion:
Early frailty screening and risk stratification are essential for older dialysis patients to manage frailty effectively, highlighting the need for targeted intervention strategies.
