IMPACT OF INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE PHARMACOTHERAPY ON FRAILTY AMONG OLDER ADULTS IN ROMANIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

With the increasing prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in older adults, treatment strategies for this population warrant careful consideration due to their potential impact on functionality and frailty.We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 60 patients aged over 65 years with diagnosed IBD, to research treatment patterns and their association with frailty.Participants were interviewed regarding their IBD subtype and therapeutic course since diagnosis, with data cross-verified through electronic health records to minimise recall bias.The Pictorial Fit-Frail Scale for Healthcare Professionals (PFFS-HCP) was employed to assess frailty status.Results indicated that older female patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) exhibited significantly higher frailty scores (mean 5.0) compared to those with Crohn's disease (CD) (mean 3.38), suggesting a greater disease burden among this subgroup.Males were more frequently classified in lower frailty categories (CFS level 1 -3), indicating better clinical resilience.Notably, combination therapy was associated with increased frailty in older women regardless of IBD type, highlighting the need for individualised therapeutic approaches in this population. RezumatDatorit creterii prevalenei bolii inflamatorii intestinale (BII) n rndul vrstnicilor, strategiile terapeutice pentru aceast populaie necesit o atenie crescut, datorit potenialului impact asupra funcionalitii i gradului de fragilitate.Am realizat un studiu transversal pe 60 de pacieni cu vrsta peste 65 de ani, diagnosticai cu BII, pentru a evalua tiparele de tratament i asocierea acestora cu fragilitatea.Participanii au fost intervievai despre subtipul de BII i parcursul terapeutic, iar datele au fost comparate cu fiierele electronice pentru a reduce biasul de reamintire.Pentru evaluarea fragilitii s-a utilizat scala vizual a fragilitii pentru profesionitii din domeniul sntii (PFFS-HCP).Rezultatele au indicat scoruri mai ridicate la femeile vrstnice cu rectocolit ulcero-hemoragic (media: 5,0) comparativ cu boala Crohn (media: 3,38), sugernd o povar mai mare a bolii.Fragilitatea uoar a fost prezent la 13,56% dintre pacieni.Brbaii au fost mai des clasificai n categoriile inferioare ale fragilitii (CFS clasa 1 -3), indicnd rezilien clinic mai ridicat.Terapia combinat a fost asociat fragilitate crescut la femeile vrstnice, indiferent de tipul de BII, subliniind necesitatea personalizrii terapiei.