Frailty trajectories before and after diabetes: a prospective cohort study in the UK and the US - PubMed

6 hours ago

Frailty trajectories before and after diabetes onset were studied in the UK and the US.
Data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) and the US Health and Retirement Study (HRS) were analyzed.
Frailty was assessed using a 27-item index, and diabetes onset was defined by self-report, medication, or HbA1c ≥6.5%.
Findings showed accelerated frailty progression before diagnosis and acute worsening at onset, but no further acceleration post-diagnosis.
Subgroup analyses revealed stronger acute effects in UK men and older US adults, with faster post-diagnosis decline in older participants.
Post-diagnosis trajectories differed between the UK (continued acceleration) and the US (stable frailty).
The study highlights diabetes diagnosis as a turning point in frailty progression and emphasizes the need for stage- and context-specific prevention.

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