Table 2_Association between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and frailty in adults aged ≥70 years: a cross-sectional study from Beijing, China.pdf

BackgroundFrailty becomes increasingly prevalent with advancing age and is influenced by multifactorial physiological and pathological processes. This study aimed to assess the current prevalence of frailty among adults aged ≥70 years and to investigate the association between low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and frailty.
MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 218 adults aged 70 and above in Beijing, China, collecting data on their sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, comorbidities, and peripheral blood biomarkers. The FRAIL scale was used to measure frailty, and the association between LDL-C and frailty was examined using exploratory analyses that employed ordinal logistic regression, multiple linear regression, and restricted cubic splines (RCS). Stratified analyses were also conducted, dividing participants into subgroups based on polypharmacy, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, and alcohol status, to examine the association between LDL-C and frailty.
ResultsThe mean age of participants was 77.5 ± 6.4 years. The prevalence of robust, pre-frailty, and frailty was 20.6%, 69.7%, and 9.6%, respectively. Adjusted ordinal logistic regression revealed a negative association between LDL-C and frailty (OR = 0.667, 95% CI = 0.489 to 0.909, P = 0.010). Multiple linear regression confirmed this association (β = -0.129, 95% CI = -0.245 to -0.012, P = 0.031). According to the RCS curve, the non-linear relationship between LDL-C and the level of frailty was not significant (P = 0.639). Stratified analyses demonstrated that LDL-C was significantly negatively associated with frailty in non-drinkers and in individuals without hypertension or diabetes mellitus.
ConclusionsPre-frailty is prevalent among older adults aged ≥70 years, and the relationship between LDL-C and frailty was negative. These findings suggest that individualized lipid management in older adults may need to account for frailty status.

背景：衰弱（frailty）的患病率随年龄增长逐渐升高，其发生受多因素生理与病理过程共同影响。本研究旨在评估≥70岁成年人当前的衰弱患病率，并探究低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C）水平与衰弱之间的关联。
方法：本研究于中国北京开展一项横断面研究，共纳入218名70岁及以上成年人，收集其社会人口学特征、生活方式、合并症及外周血生物标志物相关数据。采用FRAIL量表评估衰弱状况，并通过有序logistic回归、多重线性回归及限制性立方样条（restricted cubic splines, RCS）等探索性分析方法，探究LDL-C与衰弱之间的关联。此外还开展了分层分析，根据多重用药、高血压、糖尿病、冠心病及饮酒状态将参与者划分为不同亚组，以进一步验证LDL-C与衰弱的关联。
结果：参与者的平均年龄为77.5±6.4岁。人群中健壮、衰弱前期及衰弱的患病率分别为20.6%、69.7%和9.6%。校正后的有序logistic回归分析显示，LDL-C与衰弱呈负相关（比值比OR=0.667，95%置信区间CI：0.489~0.909，P=0.010）。多重线性回归分析进一步验证了这一关联（β=-0.129，95%CI：-0.245~-0.012，P=0.031）。基于RCS曲线分析，LDL-C与衰弱程度之间的非线性关联无统计学意义（P=0.639）。分层分析结果显示，在非饮酒者以及无高血压或糖尿病的人群中，LDL-C与衰弱呈显著负相关。
结论：≥70岁老年人中衰弱前期较为普遍，且LDL-C与衰弱呈负相关。本研究结果提示，老年人群的个体化血脂管理或许需要将衰弱状况纳入考量维度。