Comparative Study of Clinical Frailty in Elderly Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Background: Health-harming stressors increase frailty in the elderly, which is linked to dementia progression. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate a clinical frailty scale in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia compared to those without cognitive impairment. Methods: An analytical, individual-based, observational study was conducted on 212 elderly individuals (82 with normal cognition, 64 with MCI, and 66 with dementia), matched for age, sex, and schooling. Results: When comparing the groups of normal and demented patients, individuals with MCI exhibited an intermediate level of functionality (p-value < 0.001) and clinical frailty (p-value < 0.001), as determined by statistical analysis using ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the intermediate degree of functionality and clinical frailty observed in patients with MCI enables the implementation of individual multidomain intervention programs. These interventions may potentially mitigate the progressive decline associated with dementia.