Objectives

To identify potentially modifiable factors associated with overall and poor-quality-of-life (QoL) survival in physically frail older women.

Design

Prospective study with 7 years of follow-up to examine mortality and, in survivors with a QoL measurement within the next 3 years, to examine poor- versus good-QoL patterns of survival.

Setting

Women's Health Initiative Observational Study (WHI OS).

Participants

Frail older women (N = 11,070; average age 72.6, range 65-82).

Measurements

Frailty was defined using the modified Fried criteria. Study outcomes were overall survival and global QoL. Risk factors were measured at the first follow-up clinic visit for WHI OS participants between 1997 and 2001.

Results

Of 11,070 frail women, 1,487 (13%) died. After 2,677 survivors with poor or unknown QoL were excluded at study baseline, 3,153 (46%) reported good QoL, and 1,263 (18%) reported poor QoL at the end of study follow-up; QoL measures for 2,490 (38%) were unavailable. Older age, history of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, poor self-rated health, body mass index less than 25.0 kg/m(2) , waist circumference greater than 88 cm, systolic blood pressure greater than 140 mmHg, high number and severity of somatic symptoms, smoking, and low education were associated with greater likelihood of poor-QoL survival. Cumulative baseline risk scores demonstrated an approximately linear increase in probability of poor-QoL survival with an increase in risk factors. The probability of poor-QoL survival was 0.19 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.15-0.22) in those with zero to two risk factors and 0.40 (95% CI = 0.35-0.44) in those with six or more risk factors.

Conclusion

Several potentially important risk factors for aging well that can be monitored in clinical and research settings, some of which are modifiable, were identified in a large group of frail old women.