Association between Frailty and Senescence from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES): A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background Aging is an inevitable phenomenon of biological processes, and frailty, one of its key symptoms, usually reflects a decline in the body's functional and adaptive capacity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between frailty index (FI) and phenotypic age using quantitative measures. Herein, a cross-sectional study in a U.S. population reinforces current clinical knowledge that frailty promotes accelerated aging in phenotypic age. Methods In this cross-sectional study, data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were utilized, encompassing 11,918 participants aged 20 years and older. The analyses employed multiple logistic regression and restricted cubic splines (RCS). Additionally, subgroup analyses stratified by covariates were performed. Results This study included 11,918 adult participants with complete data. After adjusting for all confounding factors, a significant positive correlation was observed between FI and phenotypic age [2.04 (1.89, 2.18)], indicating that for every 0.1 increase in FI score, the phenotypic age increased by 2.04 years. Further subgroup analysis demonstrated that this association was significant only in some subgroups. Conclusion We observed a correlation between FI and the accelerated aging represented by phenotypic age. Our findings warrant further confirmation in future, more extensive prospective studies.