The Relationship between Physical Frailty and Mild Cognitive Impairment in the Elderly: A Systematic Review.

Abstract

Introduction Physical frailty (PF) appears to be associated with low cognitive performance and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This review evaluated and synthesized the evidence of studies investigating the association between PF and MCI, the prevalence of both conditions and the rate of conversion of healthy older adult to one of them during the follow-up.

Methods A systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA recommendations in the Pubmed, SciELO and LILACS databases. Five studies were eligible according to inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results Regarding the study design, cross-sectional studies prevailed. Most studies showed a positive association between PF and MCI. Moreover, PF seems to predict a worse cognitive trajectory among participants with MCI and it is associated to a higher risk of developing MCI.

Conclusion Our findings suggest a significant association between PF and MCI. Further longitudinal studies are needed to better explore causality.