| Abstract [eng] |
Relevance of the problem: Chronic diseases, multimorbidity and frailty are common conditions affecting older adults. These conditions share pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical outcomes, posing additional challenges for elderly adults as well as the healthcare system, therefore, it is important to investigate their interrelationships. Aim of the study: To determine the prevalence of multimorbidity, common chronic diseases and frailty among the study population and to evaluate the associations between multimorbidity, chronic diseases and frailty. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data was collected using anonymous questionnaires and medical records. The study population consisted of community-dwelling individuals aged 65 years and older. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of ≥ 2 chronic diseases. Frailty was assessed using the L. Fried phenotype criteria: 0 points – no frailty, 1-2 points – risk of frailty, ≥ 3 points – frailty. Statistical analysis was performed using Microsoft Excel and R (version 4.3.3.). The following methods were used: Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, χ2 criteria, Fisher‘s exact test, binary logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression. Results: The study included 204 participants: 43 men (21,08 %) and 161 women (78,92 %). The majority had at least one chronic disease (98,02 %), the most common conditions were primary arterial hypertension, heart failure, coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, atrial fibrillation, chronic cerebral ischemia, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus. Multimorbidity affected 192 individuals (94,11 %): 41 men (95,35 %) and 151 women (93,79 %). By age group, multimorbidity affected 33 individuals (80,49 %) aged 65-74 years, 75 individuals (93,94 %) aged 75-84 years and all 84 individuals (100 %) aged ≥ 85 years. Frailty was found in 91 participants (44,61 %), while 99 (48,53 %) were at risk of frailty and 14 were non-frail (6,86 %). Frailty was present in 23 men (53,5 %) and 68 women (42,2 %). By age group, frailty affected 10 individuals (24,4 %) aged 65-74 years, 31 individuals (39,2 %) aged 75-84 years and all 50 individuals (39,2 %) aged ≥ 85 years. Significant independent associations with frailty were found for primary arterial hypertension (OR = 4,91; PI 95 % 1,57-19,28; p = 0,011), heart failure (OR = 4,08; PI 95 % 2,12-8,12; p < 0,001), coronary heart disease (OR = 3,57; PI 95 % 1,91-6,81; p < 0,001), angina pectoris (OR = 1,98; PI 95 % 1,05-3,75; p = 0,034), atrial fibrillation (OR = 1,98; PI 95 % 1,05-3,75; p = 0,034) and diabetes mellitus (OR = 2,61; PI 95 % 1,33-5,24; p = 0,006). Multimorbidity was associated with a higher likelihood of frailty risk (OR = 4,55; PI 95 % 1,07-17,46; p = 0,030), although this association was no longer statistically significant after adjustment for age and sex (p = 0,108). A statistically significant association between multimorbidity and frailty was observed (p < 0,001). Conclusions: The prevalence of chronic diseases, multimorbidity and frailty increases with age. A statistically significant association was found between chronic diseases, multimorbidity and frailty: most analysed chronic diseases were associated with increased risk of frailty and multimorbidity was significantly related to frailty. |
