Frailty, diabetes, and the convergence of chronic disease in an age-related condition: a population-based nationwide cross-sectional analysis of the Mexican nutrition and health survey

Aims To describe the associations of frailty with diabetes mellitus and related conditions in older adults. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a representative sample of older adults ( n = 5379). We generated a 35-item frailty index (FI) and obtained information on diabetes and related conditions (peripheral neuropathy, lower limb amputation, diabetic coma, number of physician visits due to diabetes-related conditions, all-cause hospitalizations in the past year, years since diabetes diagnosis, and type of treatment). Logistic and Poisson regression models were used to determine the associations between frailty and diabetes and its complications. Results The mean age was 70.3 years (± 7.8); 54.7% were women. Those with an FI ≤ 0.082 composed the reference group. Multivariate analysis showed an OR of 2.32 (95% CI 1.93–2.73, p