Dataset Information

18. An Easy-to-Implement Clinical-Trial Frailty Index Based on Accumulation of Deficits: Validation in Zoster Clinical Trials

ABSTRACT: Abstract

Background

The impact of frailty on the efficacy and safety of vaccines and therapeutic interventions is increasingly recognized, yet assessment of frailty in clinical trials is often considered logistically challenging. We developed the retrospective Clinical Trial Frailty Index (CT-FI), using baseline medical history and patient reported outcomes collected via standard instruments (Short Form Survey-36 and Euro Quality of Life-5 Dimension) in two clinical trials of the adjuvanted recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV, ZOE-50 [NCT01165177] and ZOE-70 [NCT01165229]). This post-hoc analysis aimed to show that CT-FI is a robust measure that may be used in any analysis where sufficient patient data has been collected in a clinical trial.

Methods

Items included in the CT-FI were scored from 0 to 1, summed for each participant and divided by the total number of potential deficits. CT-FI was validated using descriptive methods verifying distribution and age- and sex-associations in relation to established FI characteristics, Cox regressions in relation to fatal outcomes hypothetically related to frailty, and re-sampling methods (Jackknife and Bootstrap procedures) within the FI to demonstrate robustness to inclusion/exclusion of specific individual variables.

Results

The CT-FI distribution followed a gamma distribution with a range of 0 to 0.695; the distribution shifted to the right with age. The age-related slope of mean deficit accumulation per year increased with chronological age and was higher for women than men. The rate of mean deficit accumulation was 0.0025 for women vs 0.0016 for men < 70 years of age, and this increased to 0.0058 for women vs 0.0047 for men ≥70 years of age. In univariate and multivariate Cox regression survival analyses, FI, chronological age and sex were significant predictor factors for mortality. The Jackknife and Bootstrap re-sampling methods showed that the performance of CT-FI was not sensitive to inclusion/exclusion of specific individual or groups of variables, demonstrating the robustness of this methodology.

Conclusion

The current analysis validates that CT-FI, an easy-to-implement FI, is a robust method which allows retrospective/prospective evaluation of clinical outcomes by frailty status in clinical trials.

Disclosures

Melissa K. Andrew, MD, PhD, GSK (Grant/Research Support)Pfizer (Grant/Research Support, Advisor or Review Panel member)Sanofi (Consultant, Grant/Research Support, Advisor or Review Panel member)Seqirus (Advisor or Review Panel member) Sean Matthews, MSc, GSK (Independent Contractor) Joon Hyung Kim, MD, GSK group of companies (Employee, Shareholder) Megan Riley, PhD, GSK group of companies (Employee, Shareholder) Desmond Curran, PhD, The GSK group of companies (Employee, Shareholder)

SUBMITTER: Andrew M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8644468 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:PurposeDespite being among those most in need of protection, frail older adults are often not well represented in clinical trials. Although frailty likely influences responses to treatments and vaccines, frailty may not be explicitly considered in trials even when frail participants are enrolled due to the perception that frailty is difficult to measure effectively and efficiently without adding to participant or data collection burden. We developed an easy-to-implement frailty index, the Clinical Trial-Frailty Index (CT-FI), based on baseline medical history and standard patient-reported outcomes using data from clinical trials of recombinant Zoster vaccine (the ZOE-50 and ZOE-70 studies). Our objective was to demonstrate that the CT-FI is a robust measure that may be used retrospectively or prospectively in clinical trials where sufficient patient data have been collected.MethodsThe CT-FI was based on baseline medical history and Quality of Life questionnaires (SF-36 and EQ-5D). Items meeting criteria for inclusion were scored from 0 to 1, then summed for each participant and divided by the total number of deficits considered. Validation analyses included descriptive verification of distribution and age- and sex-associations in relation to usual patterns of the frailty index, regressions in relation to outcomes hypothesized to be related to frailty, and resampling methods within the index.ResultsThe CT-FI distribution was well represented by a gamma distribution with a range of 0-0.70. Deficit accumulation increased with chronological age and was higher for females. Multivariate Cox regression survival analysis showed that the CT-FI, age, and sex were significant predictors of mortality. Jackknife and Bootstrap resampling methods highlighted the robustness of the CT-FI, which was not sensitive to inclusion/exclusion of specific individual or groups of variables.ConclusionWe have developed a reliable, robust and easy-to-implement CT-FI with potential retrospective or prospective application in other clinical trials.