Assessing frailty in lung transplantation candidates

Abstract

BackgroundFrailty assessment is important while awaiting lung transplantation (LTx) as frailty is associated with disability and death before and after LTx. We assessed known risks factors and/or frailty indicators in frail/pre-frail/non-frail patients according to the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Frailty Instrument for primary care of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-FI) instruments. We also assessed the value of SHARE-FI as a proxy to detect frail patients.

MethodsFrailty was assessed using SPPB and SHARE-FI in 82 patients on a waiting list for LTx. Demographic, anthropomorphic, and clinical variables were collected. The patients underwent a respiratory/cardiorespiratory, biochemical, and quadriceps muscle performance assessment.

ResultsThe mean age was 57.3 {+/-} 9.4 years. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (41.5%) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) (30.6%) were the most common indications for LTx. Four (4.9%), 13 (15.9%), and 65 (79.3%) patients were classified as frail, pre-frail, and non-frail by SPPB. These figures were 26 (31.7%), 41 (50%), and 15 (18.3%) with SHARE-FI. SPPB found differences between frail/pre-frail patients in the physical performance (6MWD) and muscular assessment, while SHARE-FI found differences in age, 6MWD, and oxygen saturation, and a trend in muscular strength. For COPD and ILD, frailty discrimination was better with SPPB. Concordance between the two measurements was weak. All SPPB frail ILD patients were detected by SHARE-FI. Conclusion. In patients awaiting LTx, SPPB showed better discrimination than SHARE-FI for COPD and ILD. SHARE-FI seems appropriate as a preliminary screening instrument for patients with ILD.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@misc{pascual2026assessing,
  title = {{Assessing frailty in lung transplantation candidates}},
  author = {B. Planas Pascual and I. Bello and V. Fernandez-Pinar and S. T. Spiliopoulou and M. Deu-Martin and G. Ballesteros-Reviriego and C. Berastegui-Garcia and M. Ribas-Ball and A. Gomez-Garrido},
  howpublished = {medRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.64898/2026.09.24.26363958},
  url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.26363958v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}

RIS

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Assessing frailty in lung transplantation candidates
AU  - B. Planas Pascual
AU  - I. Bello
AU  - V. Fernandez-Pinar
AU  - S. T. Spiliopoulou
AU  - M. Deu-Martin
AU  - G. Ballesteros-Reviriego
AU  - C. Berastegui-Garcia
AU  - M. Ribas-Ball
AU  - A. Gomez-Garrido
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/24
PB  - medRxiv
DO  - 10.64898/2026.09.24.26363958
UR  - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.24.26363958v1
AB  - BackgroundFrailty assessment is important while awaiting lung transplantation (LTx) as frailty is associated with disability and death before and after LTx. We assessed known risks factors and/or frailty indicators in frail/pre-frail/non-frail patients according to the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Frailty Instrument for primary care of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-FI) instruments. We also assessed the value of SHARE-FI as a proxy to detect frail patients.  MethodsFrailty was assessed using SPPB and SHARE-FI in 82 patients on a waiting list for LTx. Demographic, anthropomorphic, and clinical variables were collected. The patients underwent a respiratory/cardiorespiratory, biochemical, and quadriceps muscle performance assessment.  ResultsThe mean age was 57.3 {+/-} 9.4 years. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (41.5%) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) (30.6%) were the most common indications for LTx. Four (4.9%), 13 (15.9%), and 65 (79.3%) patients were classified as frail, pre-frail, and non-frail by SPPB. These figures were 26 (31.7%), 41 (50%), and 15 (18.3%) with SHARE-FI. SPPB found differences between frail/pre-frail patients in the physical performance (6MWD) and muscular assessment, while SHARE-FI found differences in age, 6MWD, and oxygen saturation, and a trend in muscular strength. For COPD and ILD, frailty discrimination was better with SPPB. Concordance between the two measurements was weak. All SPPB frail ILD patients were detected by SHARE-FI. Conclusion. In patients awaiting LTx, SPPB showed better discrimination than SHARE-FI for COPD and ILD. SHARE-FI seems appropriate as a preliminary screening instrument for patients with ILD.
ER  -

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