Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23782891›Full record

ArticleBMC family practice2013

Frailty prevalence and slow walking speed in persons age 65 and older: implications for primary care.

Maria-Victoria Castell, Mercedes Sánchez, Rosa Julián, Rocio Queipo, Sagrario Martín, Ángel Otero

Registry-linked trialAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC family practice, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07597850 (Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine), which is not on this map. Cited by 135 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
135citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07597850 phase2recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Formula vs. HMB on Muscle Strength and Bone Status in Pre-Frail Elders: A Comparative Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorTri-Service General Hospital (TSGH)Ran2026 to 2026Enrolled90ConditionsPre-Frailty, Sarcopenia, Muscle Atrophy or Weakness, OsteoporosisArmsTCM Formula, HMB (beta-Hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

135 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  17. Bed rest promotes reductions in walking speed, functional parameters, and aerobic fitness in older, healthy adults.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2015
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  19. Observational
  20. Frailty, polypharmacy, deprescribing, and 23-hour activity: insights from a mouse model.The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences · 2026
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75 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Maria-Victoria Castell
Mercedes Sánchez
Rosa Julián
Rocio Queipo
Sagrario Martín
Ángel Otero

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFrailty in the elderly increases their vulnerability and leads to a greater risk of adverse events. According to various studies, the prevalence of the frailty syndrome in persons age 65 and over ranges between 3% and 37%, depending on age and sex. Walking speed in itself is considered a simple indicator of health status and of survival in older persons. Detecting frailty in primary care consultations can help improve care of the elderly, and walking speed may be an indicator that could facilitate the early diagnosis of frailty in primary care. The objective of this work was to estimate frailty-syndrome prevalence and walking speed in an urban population aged 65 years and over, and to analyze the relationship between the two indicators from the perspective of early diagnosis of frailty in the primary care setting.

methodsPopulation cohort of persons age 65 and over from two urban neighborhoods in northern Madrid (Spain). Cross-sectional analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analysis with binary logistic regression to study the variables associated with frailty. Different cut-off points between 0.4 and 1.4 m/s were used to study walking speed in this population. The relationship between frailty and walking speed was analyzed using likelihood ratios.

resultsThe study sample comprised 1,327 individuals age 65 and older with mean age 75.41 ± 7.41 years; 53.4% were women. Estimated frailty in the study population was 10.5% [95% CI: 8.9-12.3]. Frailty increased with age (OR = 1.14; 95% CI: 1.10-1.19) and was associated with poor self-rated health (OR = 2.52; 95% CI: 1.43-4.44), number of drugs prescribed (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.08-1.26) and disability (OR = 6.58; 95% CI: 3.92-11.05). Walking speed less than 0.8 m/s was found in 42.6% of cases and in 56.4% of persons age 75 and over. Walking speed greater than 0.9 m/s ruled out frailty in the study sample. Persons age 75 and older with walking speed <0.8 m/s are at particularly high risk of frailty (32.1%).

conclusionsFrailty-syndrome prevalence is high in persons aged 75 and over. Detection of walking speed <0.8 m/s is a simple approach to the diagnosis of frailty in the primary care setting.

Indexed as

Health StatusMobility LimitationPrimary Health CareAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Sectional StudiesDisability EvaluationFemaleFrail ElderlyHumansMalePrescription DrugsPrevalenceSpainSurvival AnalysisUrban PopulationPrescription Drugs

Identifiers

PMID23782891
PMCPMC3691628

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.