The Intersection of Geriatrics and Chronic Kidney Disease: Frailty and Disability Among Older Adults With Kidney Disease

Older adults (aged ≥65 years) comprise the largest segment of the CKD population, and impaired kidney function is linked with unsuccessful aging. Individuals across the spectrum of kidney disease have clinical features of the frailty phenotype, suggesting that frailty is not confined to old age among vulnerable populations. This manifests as a high prevalence of impaired physical performance, emergent geriatric syndromes, disability, and risk of death. Considering the multiple system involvement underlying the symptoms and deficits seen in CKD, especially in the more severe stages, the concept of frailty is a highly useful tool to identify older adults with kidney disease who are on the trajectory of vulnerability leading to decline and death. Further work is needed to characterize the relationship between kidney disease and frailty and to identify opportunities to intervene.

Key Words: CKD, ESRD, Dialysis, Aging, Frailty, Disability, Functional status, Physical performance, Geriatric syndromes