The Influence Of Frailty On Acceptance Of Illness In Elderly Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Objective:COPD is one of the most common chronic disease in the elderly.Frailty syndrome and advanced age may decrease the acceptance of illness,quality of life,and worsen health conditions in these patients,as well as lead to an increase in health care expenses.The aim of the study was to assess the level of frailty in elderly patients with COPD.We also aimed to evaluate how the level of frailty affects the acceptance of illness in this group of patients.Methods:The study included 87 COPD patients with a mean age of 62.3(standard deviation=6.4)years and grades I(1.15%),II(35.63%),III(50.57%),and IV(12.64%)by Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease.The Tilburg frailty indicator and the Acceptance of Illness Scale that is exploited by Felton et.al(be translated into chinese)were used.Results:Frailty syndrome was found in 65(74.7%)patients,with an average score of 7.32(standard deviation =2.24).Coexisting diseases such as hypertension(44.83%),coronary artery disease(32.18%),heart failure(18.39%),diabetes(24.14%),and heart arrhythmia(9.20%)were found among the subjects.The overall level of acceptance of illness was20.6(standard deviation =7.62).The present study shows that coexistence of frailty negatively affects the level of acceptance of illness,especially in the physical domain(r=-0.36)and psychology domain(r=-0.24).Conclusion:A lower level of acceptance of illness was associated with a higher level of frailty,especially in the physical and psychology frailty dimension.Elderly patients with severe COPD are more prone to frailty and decreased acceptance of their disease.Assessment and management of frailty in the care of older COPD patients are likely to improve risk stratifcation signifcantly and help personalize management,leading to better patient outcomes.