Clin Rheumatol. 2026 Apr 14. doi: 10.1007/s10067-026-08125-8. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVES: Frailty is increasingly recognized as a multidimensional clinical condition associated with impaired quality of life (QoL). However, the prevalence and clinical implications in patients with Behçet's disease (BD) remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the frailty status and its association with QoL in Japanese patients with BD.
METHODS: We surveyed 50 patients with BD aged ≥ 40 years. Frailty was assessed using the Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study criteria. QoL was evaluated using the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) and the Behçet's Disease Quality of Life scale. Associations between the frailty status and QoL were examined using multivariable linear regression models.
RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 65.5 years. The prevalences of frailty, pre-frailty, and robustness were 12.0%, 69.0%, and 18.0%, respectively. In the multivariable analyses, frailty was associated with poorer disease-specific QoL, although the association did not reach statistical significance, whereas pre-frailty was not significantly associated with QoL outcomes. Frail patients had significantly lower SF-36 scores across most subscales than pre-frail patients. Slower walking speed was consistently associated with lower physical QoL, whereas weight loss was associated with the mental aspects of QoL.
CONCLUSIONS: Frailty and pre-frailty are highly prevalent among patients with BD. Frailty is associated with an impaired QoL, particularly in the physical domains. Routine assessment of walking speed and nutritional status may facilitate the early identification of vulnerable patients and inform targeted management strategies to maintain QoL in patients with BD. Key Points • Frailty was observed in 12.0% of Japanese patients with Behçet's disease and 69.0% were classified as pre-frail. • Frailty is associated with impaired quality of life (QoL), particularly reduced physical domains. • Slower walking speed was consistently associated with poorer physical QoL, while weight loss was associated with the mental aspects of QoL. • Early assessment of frailty components may help identify patients at risk of QoL deterioration.
PMID:41981323 | DOI:10.1007/s10067-026-08125-8