Prevalence and risk factors associated with frailty in end stage renal disease patients on maintenance haemodialysis.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of frailty and identify its associated risk factors among end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing maintenance haemodialysis. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Hemodialysis Unit, The Kidney Centre. Postgraduate Training Institute, Karachi, Pakistan. Period: March 2025 to December 2025. Methods: A total of 200 participants of any genders, aged 18-70 years, with ESRD and undergoing maintenance hemodialysis were analyzed. Frailty was measured using the Frail Scale. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected. Data analysis was carried out using IBM-SPSS Statistics version 26, employing descriptive statistics. Chi-square tests, and independent t-tests were performed to compare frail and non-frail participants while logistic regression was used to determine predictors of frailty. Statistical significance was defined as p<0.05. Results: In a total of 200 patients, 101 (50.5%) were males. The mean age, and weight were 52.8±13.2 years, and 66.3±12.6 kg, respectively. Regarding frailty status, 64 (32%) were robust, 82 (41%) pre-frail, and 54 (27%) frail. Age (aOR=1.1, 95% CI: 1.1–1.2, p=0.019), unemployment (aOR =6.9, 95% CI: 1.1–42.2, p=0.036), diabetes mellitus (aOR=7.3, 95% CI: 1.8–30.7, p=0.006), and history of hospitalization (aOR=5.1, 95% CI:1.04–24.6, p=0.044) were found to be independent predictors of frailty. Conclusion: Frailty and pre-frailty affected a substantial proportion of patients on maintenance hemodialysis in ESRD patients. Relatively older age, unemployment, diabetes mellitus, and prior hospitalization identified patients at particularly high risk of frailty.