Changes in frailty after kidney transplantation

Abstract

Objectives To understand the natural history of frailty after an aggressive surgical intervention, kidney transplantation (KT). Design Prospective cohort study (December 2008-March 2014). Setting Baltimore, Maryland. Participants Kidney transplantation recipients (N = 349). Measurements The Fried frailty score was measured at the time of KT and during routine clinical follow-up. Using a Cox proportional hazards model, factors associated with improvements in frailty score after KT were identified. Using a longitudinal analysis, predictors of frailty score changes after KT were identified using a multilevel mixed-effects Poisson model. Results At KT, 19.8% of recipients were frail; 1 month after KT, 33.3% were frail; at 2 months, 27.7% were frail; and at 3 months, 17.2% were frail. On average, frailty scores had worsened by 1 month (mean change 0.4, P