Abstract
ABSTRACT
Background and Objectives
Frailty and chronological age are major prognostic factors in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), yet their combined effects have not been fully examined in large population‐based cohorts. We investigated whether low frailty attenuates the adverse impact of aging on COPD outcomes.
Methods
We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database. Patients aged ≥ 40 years diagnosed with COPD between 2010 and 2021 were included. Frailty was assessed using a claims‐based frailty index and categorized as low, intermediate, or high. The primary outcome was all‐cause mortality, and the secondary outcome was severe exacerbation. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs).
Results
Among 1,505,638 patients with COPD, 784,962 were aged
Conclusion
In patients with COPD, frailty risk provided prognostic information beyond chronological age, highlighting the importance of biological vulnerability in determining outcomes in COPD.