Frailty in rheumatoid arthritis and the general population: a cross-sectional analysis of the Groningen Frailty Indicator and Fried criteria
Authors' conclusion
Older adults with RA show higher (pre)frailty prevalence than controls, which is associated with disease-related consequences and vulnerability rather than age, questioning the added value of frailty assessment beyond routine clinical evaluation.
Study context
- Population
- Older adults aged 55–85 years with RA and population controls, STAR studyFried subgroup: RA n = 88, controls n = 96
- Participants
- 207 vs 214
- Exposure
- Older adults with RA vs population controls
- RAn = 207
- Controlsn = 214reference
- Outcome
- Frailty prevalence by GFI (frail ≥ 4/15) and Fried criteria (frail/prefrail ≥ 1 deficit)
Methodological detailssecondary analysis of the STAR study, uni- and multivariable logistic and Poisson regression
- Secondary analysis of the STAR study
- Uni- and multivariable logistic and Poisson regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Frailty prevalence
Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI)-frailty, RA vs controls
34% vs 18%
Fried-frailty/prefrailty, RA vs controls
72% vs 50%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Fried frail or prefrail among GFI-frail persons
Association of age with frailty
- Age not associated with frailty in uni- or multivariable analyses for either instrument, in RA or controls
- pinteraction age*group >0.10
Association with RA after adjustment
- Association with RA became insignificant after multivariable adjustment
Factors associated with frailty
- GFI-frailty: living alone, comorbidity score ≥1, higher fatigue and anxiety
- Fried-frailty/prefrailty: higher BMI and poorer physical function
Original publication
Frailty in rheumatoid arthritis and the general population: a cross-sectional analysis of the Groningen Frailty Indicator and Fried criteria. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 17 June 2026. doi:10.
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