Frailty in early Alzheimer's disease: Complementary clinical value and prognostic significance in biomarker-defined mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer's disease

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease 2026

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Authors: Silvia Ottaviani, Giulia Bozzo, Francesca Cesari, Stefania Peruzzo, Luca Tagliafico, Alessio Nencioni, Federico Massa, Matteo Pardini, Fiammetta Monacelli
DOI: 10.1177/13872877261443558
Cited by: 1
References: 15

Abstract

Frailty, reflecting diminished physiological reserve, may influence how Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology manifests. This study evaluated the prognostic relevance of frailty in mild cognitive impairment due to AD (MCI-AD). 50 patients underwent frailty assessment using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), with multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE) recorded. Participants (median age 74 years; 76% women) exhibited low frailty (median CFS 3). Higher CFS scores correlated with lower baseline MMSE and faster annual decline. In adjusted analyses, CFS independently predicted both poorer cognition and steeper decline, whereas CSF P-tau did not. Frailty thus provides complementary prognostic information to biomarkers in the early stages of AD.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Frailty in Older Adults Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders

Publication details

Journal / source
Journal of Alzheimer s Disease
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Volume
111
Issue
4
Pages
1505–1509
Publication date
21 April 2026
Language
EN