Assessment of frailty syndrome with coexisting hypertension and depression among older individuals, aged >80 years of age.

Objectives: The objective was to determine odds of frailty syndrome with coexistence of hypertension and depression among oldest-old adults.

Methods: We analysed secondary data from 167 community-dwelling hypertensive participants aged 80 years and older from a cross-sectional study of frailty conducted in India. Data included sociodemographic, medical history, physical performance, functional limitations, mobility-disability, cognition, depression, sleep, frailty syndrome and chronic diseases. Odds of frailty syndrome was compared among individuals having only hypertension, and individuals having hypertension and depression. Chi-square test, t-test and logistic regression were performed to determine odds of frailty.

Results: Frailty was significantly higher (OR: 4.93;95% CI: 1.89-12.84) among individuals having hypertension and coexisting depression, compared to individuals having only hypertension. Men (OR: 5.07;95% CI: 1.02-25.17) and women (OR: 4.58;95% CI: 1.36-15.40) with hypertension and depression showed a higher risk of frailty, compared with hypertension alone. Logistic regression models were adjusted for age, sex, cognitive impairment, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular diseases, anaemia, diabetes, obesity, physical performance, activities of daily living and 4-meter walking speed.

Conclusion: Coexistence of hypertension and depression increased risk of frailty syndrome among men and women above 80 years of age by almost 5 folds. Treating depression in hypertensive older individuals may reduce the risk of frailty among them.