[Nihon kōshū eisei zasshi] Japanese journal of public health
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Nihon Koshu Eisei Zasshi · Jan 2017
[Impact of frailty and metabolic syndrome on the incidence of loss of independence in community-dwelling older Japanese: the Kusatsu-town study].
Objectives To investigate the relationship between frailty, metabolic syndrome (MetS), and loss of independence leading to the onset of disability or death among community-dwelling older Japanese. Methods Between 2002 and 2011, we conducted a 7-year prospective study involving 1,453 residents aged 65 years and over, initially free of disability, who underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment in Kusatsu town. Statistical analysis was conducted for those with complete values, resulting in a variable number of subjects for each data point. ⋯ Conclusions Frailty was significantly associated with incident loss of independence among elderly Japanese. The presence of MetS had no effect on subsequent onset of disability and mortality in elderly Japanese. Our findings suggest screening and intervention for frailty in the early stage of aging are beneficial to prolong healthy life expectancy of elderly Japanese.