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Diagnostics
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Risk Factors for Frailty in Older Adults: Second Edition
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Risk Factors for Frailty in Older Adults: Second Edition

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Diagnosis and Prognosis".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 1917

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Agustín Aibar Almazán

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaen, Campus las Lagunillas, Jaén, Spain
Interests: mental disorders; cognitive performance; physical function; mental health; lifespan
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. María del Carmen Carcelén-Fraile

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Educational Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Atlántico Medio, 35017 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Interests: exercise; physical function; children; mental health; cognition; academic performance; education; sleep quality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Consolidating the path begun in the first edition of the Special Issue "Risk Factors for Frailty in Older Adults," this second installment seeks to delve deeper into the multidimensional determinants of frailty and expand the scientific evidence on its prevention, early detection, and management. Frailty in older adults remains a pressing challenge for healthcare systems worldwide, as it is a complex and dynamic syndrome that negatively affects strength, physical function, cognition, mental health, and overall quality of life, increasing vulnerability to falls, hospitalization, disability, and mortality.

In this new edition, researchers are invited to contribute original research articles, clinical trials, longitudinal studies, and comprehensive reviews that examine the wide range of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors associated with frailty. Special attention will be paid to the role of nutrition, sleep quality, and socioeconomic determinants, as well as to the interaction of these factors with different clinical and functional parameters.

This Issue also promotes research into multidimensional and innovative intervention strategies, such as exercise-based programs, cognitive stimulation, psychosocial support, and digital health solutions, which have the potential to improve clinical and functional outcomes. Special emphasis will also be placed on the development and validation of reliable screening tools, as well as the integration of new technologies for continuous monitoring and early diagnosis.

Prof. Dr. Agustín Aibar Almazán
Dr. María del Carmen Carcelén-Fraile
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diagnostics is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • frailty
  • older adults
  • risk factors
  • mental health
  • physical function
  • cognition
  • multidimensional intervention
  • frailty screening
  • quality of life
  • sleep quality

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 458 KB  
Article
Associations of Muscle Mass, Strength, and Power with Falls Among Active Community-Dwelling Older Adults
by Priscila Marconcin, Joana Serpa, José Mira, Ana Lúcia Silva, Estela São Martinho, Vânia Loureiro, Margarida Gomes, Petronela Hăisan, Nuno Casanova and Vanessa Santos
Diagnostics 2026, 16(2), 283; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16020283 - 16 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1194
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults, even among those who are physically active. This study examined the associations between skeletal muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle power and fall risk in physically active, community-dwelling older [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Falls are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in older adults, even among those who are physically active. This study examined the associations between skeletal muscle mass, muscle strength, and muscle power and fall risk in physically active, community-dwelling older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 280 participants (71.9 ± 5.3 years; 75% women) enrolled in the Stay Up–Falls Prevention Project. Assessments included skeletal muscle mass (anthropometric prediction equation), handgrip strength, lower limb strength and power (Five Times Sit-to-Stand test, 5×STS), and fall history over the past 12 months. Muscle power was calculated from 5×STS performance using the equation proposed by Alcazar and colleagues. Logistic regression models and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed. Results: Overall, 26.4% of participants reported at least one fall in the previous year, with a higher prevalence among women (28.9%) than men (18.8%). Fallers showed significantly lower handgrip strength (23.1 vs. 25.4 kg, p = 0.022) and poorer lower limb strength (9.2 vs. 8.7 s, p = 0.007) compared with non-fallers. However, no significant differences were found for skeletal muscle mass or sit-to-stand–derived power. In multivariable models adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, comorbidities, and medications, lower limb strength remained the only independent variable associated with fall status (OR = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.11–2.85, p = 0.016). ROC analysis confirmed fair discriminative capacity for 5×STS performance (AUC = 0.616, p = 0.003), with an optimal cut-off of 8.62 s (sensitivity = 78.4%, specificity = 33.0%). Handgrip strength, muscle mass, and power did not show independent associations with fall status. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the 5×STS test provides a simple, cost-effective, and functional indicator for fall-risk stratification in physically active older adults. Clinicians should consider the 5×STS as a sensitive functional indicator that contributes to fall risk stratification, ideally combined with complementary assessments (e.g., balance, gait, cognition) to improve risk stratification and guide preventive interventions in ageing populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Risk Factors for Frailty in Older Adults: Second Edition)
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11 pages, 547 KB  
Article
Association Between Frailty and Leptin Levels in Patients with Stable Coronary Artery Disease
by Kristina Krivoshapova, Daria Tsygankova, Anastasia Neeshpapa, Anastasia Kareeva, Alexander Kokov, Evgeny Bazdyrev, Victoria Karetnikova and Olga Barbarash
Diagnostics 2026, 16(2), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16020255 - 13 Jan 2026
Viewed by 390
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The study aimed to examine the association between the total SPPB score and serum leptin levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A cross-sectional study included 204 prospectively enrolled patients with CAD [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The study aimed to examine the association between the total SPPB score and serum leptin levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: A cross-sectional study included 204 prospectively enrolled patients with CAD who were admitted for elective PCI. The mean age was 67.45 ± 8.63 years; 63.2% of patients were male. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was used to screen for prefrailty and frailty (10–12 points: no frailty; 8–9 points: prefrailty; ≤7 points: frailty). The levels of leptin, a biomarker of fat remodeling, were measured by a highly sensitive and highly specific enzyme immunoassay using a Diagnostics Biochem Canada Inc. Leptin ELISA Kit (London, ON, Canada). Results: The prevalence of frailty and prefrailty in patients with stable CAD was 20.1% and 40.2%, respectively. A comparative analysis revealed that frailty was significantly more likely in older women with CAD before elective PCI. The total serum leptin level was 13.00 [8.00–50.00] ng/mL. Frail patients with CAD had higher leptin levels than patients without frailty (25.40 [7.00–60.00] ng/mL vs. 12.00 [5.15–19.70] ng/mL, p = 0.037). The leptin level in patients with prefrailty was 16.70 [13.00–49.10] ng/mL. Moreover, there was a moderate inverse correlation between the total SPPB score and serum leptin levels before PCI (p = 0.006). A regression analysis found that the total SPPB score in patients with stable CAD was associated with high serum leptin levels (p < 0.001) and older age (p = 0.017). Conclusions: Our study found that frail patients with CAD undergoing PCI had higher serum leptin levels than patients without frailty. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Risk Factors for Frailty in Older Adults: Second Edition)
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