Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41501836›Full record

ArticleBMC medicine2026

Frailty progression: The role of multimorbidity configurations in frailty transitions and predicting mortality risk among older adults.

Rafael Ogaz-González, Qian Zou, Luis Miguel Gutiérrez-Robledo, Ricardo Escamilla-Santiago, Malaquías López-Cervantes, Richard C Oude Voshaar, Eva Corpeleijn

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In one paragraph

Article in BMC medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 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

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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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

7 authors.

Rafael Ogaz-GonzálezUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands. r.e.ogaz.gonzalez@umcg.nl.
Qian ZouUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Luis Miguel Gutiérrez-RobledoInstituto Nacional de Geriatría, Dirección de Investigación, Ciudad de Mexico, México.
Ricardo Escamilla-SantiagoNational Autonomous University of Mexico, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Mexico City, Mexico.
Malaquías López-CervantesNational Autonomous University of Mexico, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Mexico City, Mexico.
Richard C Oude VoshaarUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Eva CorpeleijnUniversity of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Epidemiology, Groningen, The Netherlands. e.corpeleijn@umcg.nl.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDifferent patterns of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in older adults may lead to distinct transitions of frailty progression and mortality risk. This study aimed to determine whether specific multimorbidity patterns of configurations (MCs) are associated with differences in frailty transitions and mortality risk.

methodsLongitudinal data from 14,511 adults aged ≥ 60 years in the Lifelines cohort were analyzed, with median follow-up of 3.8 years for frailty and 5.6 years for mortality. Multimorbidity was assessed both by accumulation (≥ 2 NCDs) and by MCs previously identified through latent class analysis. Frailty was measured using a 32-item index and categorized as robust, pre-frail, or frail. Multistate Markov models estimated transitions between frailty states and to death; mixed-effects models assessed frailty average-changes over time.

resultsThe prevalence of multimorbidity by NCD accumulation increased monotonically with frailty, whereas the distribution of MCs varied across frailty categories. The type of multimorbidity influenced the risk of transitioning between frailty states and to death. The 'Complex Treatment' group had the highest baseline frailty. The 'Major CVD & Vascular' and 'Heart & Vascular' configurations showed the steepest increases in frailty, while the 'Vascular' and 'Metabolic' groups presented lower frailty levels and a higher likelihood of recovery. Participants in the 'CVD & Vascular' group were more likely to transition from pre-frailty or frailty to death compared to other configurations.

conclusionsFrailty transitions and mortality risk varied across MCs, identifying moderate- and high-risk profiles. MCs provide a more detailed interpretation of into how multimorbidity shapes frailty and mortality than simple disease accumulation.

Indexed as

Frail ElderlyFrailtyMortalityMultimorbidityAgedAged, 80 and overDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedNoncommunicable DiseasesRisk FactorsFrailtyMortalityMultimorbidity patternsOlder adultsTransitions

Identifiers

PMID41501836
PMCPMC12874834

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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.