Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing as a Screening Tool for Frailty Syndrome in Elderly Population

This study investigated the potential of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for early detection of frailty syndrome in community-dwelling elderly individuals. This cross-sectional study included 130 adults aged ≥65 years, classified into normal (n=40), pre-frail (n=50), and frail (n=40) groups based on Fried's frailty phenotype. Assessments included CPET parameters (VO₂ max, VE/VCO₂ slope, oxygen pulse, exercise duration), Korean frailty tools (K-CIST, K-GNRI, NQ-E), physical function tests, and biochemical markers. Significant differences were observed across frailty groups in CPET parameters. VO₂max was significantly lower in frail (12.3±3.2 ml/kg/min) versus normal groups (21.2±4.1 ml/kg/min, p<.001). VE/VCO₂ slope was higher in frail (37.1±6.7) versus normal groups (29.2±4.8, p<.001). ROC analysis revealed optimal cut-off points: VO₂max ≤15.2 ml/kg/min (AUC=.892), VE/VCO₂ slope ≥32.5 (AUC=.876), and exercise duration ≤420 seconds (AUC=0.854) for frailty detection. CPET demonstrates significant potential as an objective tool for early frailty detection in community-dwelling elderly. The identified CPET parameters may serve as valuable indicators for frailty screening. Further prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and establish standardized CPET-based frailty assessment protocols.