Poster Presentation Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

Frailty and disease stage in older people living with chronic kidney disease (116994)

Benignus Logan 1 , Elaine M Pascoe 2 , Andrea K Viecelli 3 , David W Johnson 3 , Tracy A Comans 1 , Carmel Hawley 3 , Laura E Hickey 3 , Monika Janda 2 , Allison Jaure 4 , Ema Kalaw 3 , Charani Kiriwandeniya 3 , Misa Matsuyama 3 , Gabor Mihala 3 , Kim-Huong Nguyen 2 , Jason D Pole 2 , Kevan R Polkinghorne 5 , Dimity Pond 6 , Rajesh Raj 7 , Donna Reidlinger 1 , Nicole Scholes-Robertson 4 , Andrea Valks 3 , Germaine Wong 4 , Ruth Eleanor Hubbard 1
  1. Australian Frailty Network, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
  2. University of Queensland, Brisbane
  3. Australasian Kidney Trials Network, University of Queensland, Brisbane
  4. Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney
  5. Monash University, Melbourne
  6. Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, Hobart
  7. Launceston General Hospital, Launceston

Aims: The GOAL trial, a cluster-randomised controlled trial, investigated the effect of comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) on frail older people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This presentation describes (1) participant baseline characteristics, and (2) their relationship with CKD stage and frailty severity.

Methods: Sixteen kidney outpatient clinics (clusters) were randomly allocated 1:1 to CGA or usual care. Enrolled frail older people with CKD (Frailty Index >0.25; aged ≥65 years or ≥55 if First Nations people) received the intervention allocated to their cluster. CKD was defined as moderate (stages 3/4) or severe (stage 5/5D), and frailty categorised as moderate (>0.25 to <0.36), severe (0.36 to <0.45) or very severe (≥0.45). Participant characteristics were analysed using descriptive statistics. Statistical methods appropriate for type of outcome were used to describe associations.

Results: Over a 27-month period, 240 people were recruited (55.7% male, 82.9% white/European). Mean age was 76.9 (SD: 6.6) and median FI was 0.39 (IQR: 0.32 – 0.47). The median EQ-5D-5L quality of life index score was worse in those with very severe frailty (0.57, IQR: 0.28 – 0.83) compared to severe frailty (0.85, IQR: 0.67 – 0.92) and moderate frailty (0.90, IQR: 0.82 – 0.93) (overall P <0.001).  Median EQ-5D-5L was also worse in those with severe CKD (0.79, IQR: 0.40 – 0.89), compared to moderate CKD (median 0.87, IQR: 0.73 – 0.92; P 0.001).

Conclusions: This cohort demonstrated poorer quality of life scores in those with more severe frailty and more advanced CKD. 

  1. (**This abstract relates to baseline data for the GOAL Trial. For the ASM in June final outcome results for the trial will be available to be presented.**)