Interdisciplinary frailty RCT
A 12-month multifactorial interdisciplinary program reduced frailty prevalence and improved mobility versus usual care in frail older adults in Sydney.
Source
A multifactorial interdisciplinary intervention reduces frailty in older people: randomized trial
What they did
A single-center RCT randomized frail older adults to a year-long multifactorial interdisciplinary intervention (physiotherapy, nutrition, medical review as needed) or usual care, assessing frailty and SPPB at 3 and 12 months.
What they found
At 12 months, frailty prevalence was 14.7 percentage points lower with intervention (NNT ≈ 6.8) and SPPB mobility improved relative to controls; effects were clearer at 12 months than at 3 months.
The limits
What it doesn't show
Results are from one Australian health system and do not isolate which component drove benefit or guarantee mortality reduction.
Key terms
- Frailty phenotype
- Clinical state of increased vulnerability often defined by CHS criteria such as slow gait and weak grip.
- SPPB
- Short Physical Performance Battery scoring standing balance, gait, and chair stands.
- Multifactorial intervention
- Combined physiotherapy, nutrition, and medical components tailored to frailty criteria.
- NNT
- Number needed to treat for one additional person to benefit.
- Usual care
- Standard community health and aged-care services without the study program.
- Adherence
- Estimated extent to which participants followed the prescribed intervention.
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Primary design of this study?
Common questions
Who was enrolled?
Frail older adults in Sydney; mean age 83.3 years; 68% women.
How long was the intervention?
12 months after randomization.
What happened to frailty prevalence?
14.7 percentage-point absolute reduction at 12 months (P = 0.02).
Did mobility change?
Yes; SPPB favored intervention by about 1.44 points at 12 months.
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