Endocrine and inflammatory markers as predictors of frailty

Summary Objective To examine the association of serum concentrations of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), C‐reactive protein (CRP) and IGF‐1 with prevalent and incident frailty. Design The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA), a prospective cohort study with 3‐yearly measurement cycles. Setting General population‐based sample. Participants The respondents were men and women aged 65 and over, who participated at T1 (1995/1996, N = 1720) and T2 (1998/1999, N = 1509). Blood samples were obtained at T1 (N = 1271). Measurements The presence of frailty at T1 and 3‐year incidence of frailty. Frailty is defined as the presence of three out of nine frailty indicators. Results At T1, 242 (19·0%) of all respondents were frail. Those who were frail at T1 had higher CRP and lower 25(OH)D levels. Serum 25(OH)D remained associated with frailty after adjustment for potential confounders with an odd ratios (OR) of 2·60 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1·60–4·21] for 25(OH)D