The use of a frailty index to predict adverse health outcomes (falls, fractures, hospitalization, medication use, comorbid conditions) in people with intellectual disabilities.
A frailty index helps identify which older adults with ID are likely to develop more medication use and comorbidities within three years.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team followed 982 adults with intellectual disability who were 50 or older.
They scored each person on a 51-item frailty index at the start.
Three years later they checked who had more medicines, new illnesses, falls, breaks, or hospital stays.
What they found
People with higher frailty scores at baseline were more likely to need extra medicines and develop new health problems.
The frailty score did not predict falls, broken bones, or hospital stays.
In short, frailty flags future medication load and illness burden, not injuries.
How this fits with other research
Berkovits et al. (2014) used the same cohort and showed higher frailty forecasts daily-living disabilities. The 2015 paper extends that warning to medicines and illness.
Oppewal et al. (2014) also found that neither frailty nor fitness tests predict falls in this group. The shared null result is not a clash—just two signs that falls need different screens, like past fall history.
Kremkow et al. (2022) later trimmed the 51-item index to 17 items while keeping its power. If you want a quicker caregiver-friendly tool, use the short form.
Why it matters
If you support aging adults with ID, run the frailty index at intake. A high score tells you to plan for more meds and health visits, not necessarily for fall-proofing. Pair it with a simple fall-history question instead of extra fitness tests.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Frailty in older people can be seen as the increased likelihood of future negative health outcomes. Lifelong disabilities in people with intellectual disabilities (ID) may not only influence their frailty status but also the consequences. Here, we report the relation between frailty and adverse health outcomes in older people with ID (50 years and over). In a prospective population based study, frailty was measured at baseline with a frailty index in 982 older adults with ID (≥50 yr). Information on negative health outcomes (falls, fractures, hospitalization, increased medication use, and comorbid conditions) was collected at baseline and after a three-year follow-up period. Odds ratios or regression coefficients for negative health outcomes were estimated with the frailty index, adjusted for gender, age, level of ID, Down syndrome and baseline adverse health condition. The frailty index was related to an increased risk of higher medication use and several comorbid conditions, but not to falls, fractures and hospitalization. Frailty at baseline was related to negative health outcomes three years later in older people with ID, but to a lesser extent than found in the general population.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2015 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2014.12.001