Diabetes and frailty: an emerging issue. Part 2: Linking factors

Abstract

Diabetes and frailty may be causally related and operate through each of the key components of the frailty phenotype or via the associated medical co-morbidities. The presence of frailty in a setting of diabetes increases the level of disability and leads to poorer clinical outcomes. The vascular complications of diabetes (both macro- and microvascular) are implicated in this aetiopathogenesis of frailty and any associated mood disturbance or cognitive impairments worsen the outcome. Research into exploring this relationship further is needed and this may lead to more effective interventional strategies.