Supervisors info:
Σφηκάκης Πέτρος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Κραββαρίτη Ευρυδίκη, Ακαδημαϊκή Υπότροφος, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Λυμπερόπουλος Ευάγγελος, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Background: Chronic patients show more than one disease as a result of which they feel weak, they also have limited physical activity and walking capacity, characteristics that fulfill the syndrome of frailty and affect their quality of life. The connection between frail syndrome and quality of life is an expected consequence but it is not clear whether it is connected with organic comorbidities following frailty or if it is due to the syndrome on its own. Furthermore, the correlation level of frailty syndrome and the self-reported quality of life has never been studied in Greece's population representative sample.
Aim: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of quality of life, through the dimensions assessed by the quality of life index (EQ5D) and the correlation of the level of quality of life with the presence of vulnerability, taking into account the (very) organic morbidity.
Materials and Methods: The material of the study was the people who participated in the ATTICA epidemiological study by giving their verbal consent. In the study sample where the data from the first assessment had been collected (n=3042) a telephone reassessment was attempted, and of the 2,484 who responded, data on comorbidity and vulnerability were recorded using questionnaires in 305 participants. Of those with a positive frailty detection (n=162), 32 underwent a lifetime assessment where clinical tests were performed to confirm the frailty syndrome and the Euro-QoL-5D quality of life questionnaire was completed. During the collection of results, 6 more participants were removed due to missing data, so 26 subjects were studied.
Results: The present study demonstrated the correlation of frailty with the reduced level of quality of life, proving in fact an inversely proportional relationship, determined proportionally between the two concepts under consideration. However, it was not directly proven that multimorbidity is associated with reduced quality of life. However, at a theoretical and practical level, multimorbidity and frailty show a highly interactive relationship. Therefore, multimorbidity indirectly, through frailty, participates in the deterioration of the quality of life, even if this is not proven by the present study at a statistical level.
Conclusions: Frailty may be a syndrome with significant value for the evaluation of the quality of life of the aging population. This syndrome clearly includes the concept of multimorbidity. These two concepts have a burdensome effect on the quality of life. However, for the Greek reality, even in modern times, the assessment of frailty and its effects on the quality of life retain a minor importance in the evaluation of geriatric patients.
Keywords:
Quality of life, Health-related quality of life, Frailty, Multimorbidity.
