The influence of frailty syndrome on quality of life in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

Introduction: There have been no comprehensive studies that assess the impact of frailty syndrome on quality of life (QoL) of patients with diagnosed type 2 diabetes. The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of frailty syndrome on QoL and depression symptoms of patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The study included 148 consecutive patients (aged ≥ 60y). The patients were divided into two groups according to the prevalence of the frailty syndrome: robust and frailty. For all of the patients that were included in the study, we used the Polish version of validated instruments: ADDQoL, TFI and BDI.

Results: In the study group, 43.2% had been diagnosed with frailty syndrome. An analysis of QoL assessment depending on the prevalence of the frailty syndrome showed that patients who were robust (without recognized frailty syndrome) assessed QoL significantly better than patients with coexisting frailty syndrome. Robust patients did not have any severe depressive symptoms, whereas in the group of patients with the frailty syndrome 43.8% of the patients had a depression. 70.2% of the patients without any depressive symptoms were robust patients, meanwhile only 14% of the patients had frailty syndrome recognized.

Conclusions: Frailty syndrome occurred in 43 percent of the patients with type 2 diabetes. This has a negative impact on QoL of patients. Depression is more common in patients with the frailty syndrome and diabetes.