Falls, frailty, and metabolic syndrome in urban dwellers aged 55 years and over in the Malaysian elders longitudinal research (MELoR) study - a cross-sectional Study

ABSTRACT

Objectives

While metabolic syndrome, falls, and frailty are common health issues among older adults which are likely to be related, the potential interplay between these three conditions has not previously been investigated. We investigated the relationship between metabolic syndrome with falls, and the role of frailty markers in this potential relationship, among community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

Data from the first wave Malaysian Elders Longitudinal Research (MELoR) study comprising urban dwellers aged 55 years and above were utilized. Twelve-month fall histories were established during home-based, computer-assisted interviews which physical performance, anthropometric and laboratory measures were obtained during a hospital-based health check. Gait speed, exhaustion, weakness, and weight loss were employed as frailty markers.

Results

Data were available for 1415 participants, mean age of 68.56 ± 7.26 years, 57.2% women. Falls and metabolic syndrome were present in 22.8% and 44.2%, respectively. After adjusting for age, sex, and multiple comorbidities, metabolic syndrome was significantly associated with falls in the sample population [odds ratio (OR): 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03; 1.72]. This relationship was attenuated by the presence of slow gait speed, but not exhaustion, weakness, or weight loss.

Conclusion

Metabolic syndrome was independently associated with falls among older adults, and this relationship was accounted for by the presence of slow gait speed. Future studies should determine the value of screening for frailty and falls with gait speed in older adults with metabolic syndrome as a potential fall prevention measure.

KEYWORDS:

• Metabolic Syndrome
• aged
• accidental Falls
• frailty
• walking speed

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the research assistants involved in the MELoR project.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

The contents of the paper and the opinions expressed within are those of the authors, and it was the decision of the authors to submit the manuscript for publication. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The MELoR study is now the Transforming Cognitive Frailty to Later Life Self-sufficiency (AGELESS) study, which was funded by the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia Long Term Research Grant Scheme (LR005-2019) LRGS/1/2019/UM//1/1.