Frailty in Persons with Down Syndrome: Results from the REVIVIS Study

Objectives: To determine frailty prevalence and identify possible nonclinical factors associated with this condition in community-dwelling individuals with Down syndrome (DS).

Design: Cross-sectional analysis of the registry study REVIVIS, a single-center, prospective study on the geriatric management of persons with DS.

Setting and participants: Individuals with DS (n = 139) referred to a geriatric clinic.

Methods: Frailty was assessed through a 38-item Frailty Index (FI). A multivariable linear regression model was performed to assess the relationship between frailty and different variables of interest: age, number of prescribed drugs, and employment status (unemployed vs employed).

Results: Among 139 subjects (54.5% male), mean (SD) aged 42.9 (6.9) years, the median (interquartile range) FI was 0.24 (0.16-0.30) with 60 participants (43.2%) classified as frail. The number of prescribed medications was associated with higher FI levels (P < .001), whereas being employed was associated with lower FI levels (P < .001) compared with being unemployed. No association was found between chronological age and FI.

Conclusions and implications: Our findings suggest that chronological age is insufficient to encompass the complexity of a subject with DS, underscoring the importance of a standardized evaluation of the FI among this population. Access to geriatric care might become an important opportunity for people with DS, a population characterized by high vulnerability (or frailty).