2340-P: High Frailty among Individuals with Diabetes-Related Multimorbidity in India: Findings from a Nationwide Study

Introduction and Objective: Frailty and multimorbidity frequently coexist, with approximately 72% of frail individuals having multimorbidity. However, frailty in individuals with diabetes-related multimorbidity (DRM) remains understudied in India. Methods: We analyzed data from the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI wave 1), a large representative nationwide study among individuals aged ≥18 years (n=72250). For this analysis, we included individuals aged ≥ 45 years with self-reported diabetes mellitus (DM). DRM was defined as the coexistence of DM with ≥1 self-reported condition from hypertension, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, thyroid disorders, stroke, arthritis, and hearing disorder. We estimated the prevalence of frailty using the Modified Fried Frailty Phenotype scale and assessed its correlates using multivariable logistic regression. Results: The analytical sample comprised 8,429 participants (mean (SD) age of 61.9 (±9.8) years and 54.7% were women. DRM was observed in 72.4% (n=6,103). The prevalence of frailty was significantly higher in individuals with DRM [28.4% (95% CI: 24.2-32.9)] compared to those with DM alone [17.8% (14.8-21.3)]. Frailty prevalence was 14.6% among individuals aged 45-60 years and 36.2% among those aged ≥60 years. Frailty was observed in 24.9% of men and 31.1% of women. Among individuals with DRM, frailty prevalence was highest in those with comorbid dementia (45.1%) and stroke (39.7%). Among individuals with DRM, the odds of frailty were significantly higher among those aged ≥60 years [aOR: 2.3 (1.3-4.0)] compared to those aged 45-60 years, and among those with BMI ≥25 [3.5 (2.0-6.0)] compared to those with BMI <18.5 kg/m2. Conclusion: Multimorbidity exacerbates the risk of frailty among adults with diabetes, underscoring the need for integrated care models prioritizing the prevention and concurrent management of both to improve health outcomes. Disclosure M. Shenoy: None. R. Bhagat: None. N. Srinivasapura Venkateshmurthy: None. K. Khunti: None. D. Prabhakaran: None. S. Mohan: None. Funding NIH (R203257)