Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37140052›Full record

ArticleAge and ageing2023

Frailty transitions and prevalence in an ageing population: longitudinal analysis of primary care data from an open cohort of adults aged 50 and over in England, 2006-2017.

Bronagh Walsh, Carole Fogg, Scott Harris, Paul Roderick, Simon de Lusignan, Tracey England, Andrew Clegg, Sally Brailsford, Simon D S Fraser

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Age and ageing, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 85 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
85citing papers in PubMed, 3 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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

85 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Article
  7. Interventional Mitral Valve Edge-to-Edge Repair in Patients Above 85 Years of Age.Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions : official journal of the Society for Cardiac Angiography & Interventions · 2026
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Observational
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Observational
  20. Article

25 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

9 authors.

Bronagh WalshSchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Carole FoggSchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Scott HarrisSchool of Primary Care, Population Science & Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Paul RoderickSchool of Primary Care, Population Science & Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Simon de LusignanNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Tracey EnglandSchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Andrew CleggAcademic Unit of Elderly Care and Rehabilitation, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
Sally BrailsfordSouthampton Business School, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
Simon D S FraserSchool of Primary Care, Population Science & Medical Education, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.

Funding

Department of Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionfrailty is common in older adults and is associated with increased health and social care use. Longitudinal information is needed on population-level incidence, prevalence and frailty progression to plan services to meet future population needs.

methodsretrospective open cohort study using electronic health records of adults aged ≥50 from primary care in England, 2006-2017. Frailty was calculated annually using the electronic Frailty Index (eFI). Multistate models estimated transition rates between each frailty category, adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. Prevalence overall for each eFI category (fit, mild, moderate and severe) was calculated.

resultsthe cohort included 2,171,497 patients and 15,514,734 person-years. Frailty prevalence increased from 26.5 (2006) to 38.9% (2017). The average age of frailty onset was 69; however, 10.8% of people aged 50-64 were already frail in 2006. Estimated transitions from fit to any level of frailty were 48/1,000 person-years aged 50-64, 130/1,000 person-years aged 65-74, 214/1,000 person-years aged 75-84 and 380/1,000 person-years aged ≥ 85. Transitions were independently associated with older age, higher deprivation, female sex, Asian ethnicity and urban dwelling. Mean time spent in each frailty category decreased with age, with the longest period spent in severe frailty at all ages.

conclusionsfrailty is prevalent in adults aged ≥50 and time spent in successive frailty states is longer as frailty progresses, resulting in extended healthcare burden. Larger population numbers and fewer transitions in adults aged 50-64 present an opportunity for earlier identification and intervention. A large increase in frailty over 12 years highlights the urgency of informed service planning in ageing populations.

Indexed as

FrailtyAgedAgingCohort StudiesEnglandFemaleFrail ElderlyHumansMiddle AgedPrevalencePrimary Health CareRetrospective Studiesageing populationfrailtyincidenceolder peopleprevalencetransitions

Identifiers

PMID37140052
PMCPMC10158172

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.