Comparison of the prevalence and associated factors of cognitive frailty between elderly and middle-young patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis

Purpose This study aimed at comparing the prevalence of cognitive frailty and explore the differences in the influencing factors between elderly and middle-young patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis (MHD). Methods In this cross-sectional study, the frailty phenotype, mini-mental state examination, and clinical dementia rating were used to assess the current status of cognitive frailty in 852 patients receiving MHD from four hospitals in Lianyungang City and Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province, China; the influencing factors were then analyzed for statistical significance. Results Of the total 852 patients receiving MHD, 340 were classified into an elderly group (≥ 60 years) and 512 into a middle-young group (< 60 years). The prevalence of cognitive frailty was 35.9% and 8.8%, respectively. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the independent factors of cognitive frailty were age ( P < 0.001), education level ( P = 0.010), nutritional status ( P = 0.001), serum albumin level ( P = 0.010), calf circumference ( P = 0.024), and social support level ( P < 0.001) in the elderly group and comorbidity status ( P = 0.037), education level ( P < 0.001), nutritional status ( P = 0.008), serum creatinine level ( P = 0.001), waist circumference ( P < 0.001), and depression ( P = 0.006) in the middle-young group. Conclusion The prevalence of cognitive frailty was significantly higher in the elderly group than in the middle-young group, and the influencing factors differed between the two populations.