Is frailty a predictor of mortality in late-life depression?

IntroductionFrailty is a clinical phenotype that predicts negative health outcomes including mortality. Similar to frailty, late-life depression is also associated with increased mortality rates.ObjectivesOur objective was to examine whether frailty and frailty related biomarkers predict mortality among depressed older patients.MethodsAmong 378 older patients (≥60 years) with a depressive disorder (DSM-IV criteria) we examined whether frailty predicts time-to-death during a six-year follow-up using Cox-regression analyses adjusted for confounders. Baseline data were collected between 2007 and September 2010. Frailty was defined according to Fried’s criteria (muscle weakness, slowness, exhaustion, low activity level, unintended weight loss). Similarly, we examined the predictive value of three inflammatory markers, vitamin D level, and leucocyte telomere length, and whether these effects were independent of the frailty phenotype.ResultsDuring follow-up, 26.2% frail depressed patients died compared to 12.7% non-frail depressed patients (p