A multistate model of frailty progression after severe infections in adults >=65 years in England: a matched-cohort study

The study examined how severe infections affect frailty progression in older adults aged 65 years and older in England. The research included 1,452,117 participants with a median age of 76 years, of which 45% were male. Individuals hospitalized for severe infection had significantly higher risk of progression to greater frailty or death compared to those without severe infection. For example, the risk of transition from mild to moderate frailty was 1.52 times higher in those with severe infection. Lower respiratory tract infections had the strongest effects, followed by sepsis and urinary tract infections. After five years, individuals with severe infection had higher probability of frailty progression and shorter length of stay in each frailty state. The results suggest that severe infections may accelerate frailty deterioration in older age.