# Frailty Doubles Death Risk in People With Heart and Metabolic Disease

_Evidence Level: Strong · Ren R et al., iScience, DOI 10.1016/j.isci.2026.115615_

*Frailty status and mortality among patients with cardiometabolic diseases in an international multi-cohort study.*

- **Evidence Level**: Strong
- **Why this grade**: Five large prospective cohorts including UK Biobank and NHANES, with the link to mortality consistent across all cohorts and sensitivity analyses.
- **Publication Types**: Journal Article
- **Journal**: iScience
- **Sample Size**: Five large cohorts including UK Biobank, NHANES, and others
- **Authors**: Ren R, Zhang Y, Du M, Wang W, Wang L, Bai J, Lu Y, Ma Y, Wang D
- **Graded and published**: 2026-04-08
- **Last edited**: 2026-09-17
- **Topics**: frailty, cardiovascular, mortality
- **DOI**: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2026.115615
- **Free full text**: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13123584/
- **Original Source**: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42058915/

## Summary

Looking at five large studies across the US, UK, and China, people with heart or metabolic conditions who were frail had up to 132% higher risk of dying from any cause. Even being slightly weak (pre-frail) raised the risk by 21% to 66%. The link was strongest in people under 65 and those with lower body weight.

## Practical Takeaway

This study suggests frailty checks could matter even for younger adults with heart or metabolic issues.

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_Canonical: https://longevity-germany.com/en/research/frailty-doubles-death-risk-in-people-with-heart-and-metabolic-disease · Part of Longevity Cities · Updated 2026-09-17_