Frailty screening in 82 lung transplant candidates: SPPB versus SHARE-FI
In 82 patients awaiting lung transplantation, the SPPB classified far fewer as frail than SHARE-FI, and SPPB discriminated frailty better in COPD and ILD; agreement between the two instruments was weak. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
Frailty assessment is described as important while awaiting lung transplantation because frailty is associated with disability and death before and after transplantation. [1]
In 82 patients awaiting lung transplantation, SPPB classified 4 as frail, 13 as pre-frail and 65 as non-frail, while SHARE-FI classified 26, 41 and 15 respectively. [1]
For COPD and ILD, frailty discrimination was better with SPPB, concordance between the two measurements was weak, and all SPPB-frail ILD patients were detected by SHARE-FI. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Abstract of a study assessing frailty with two instruments in lung transplant candidates
- Population / context
- 82 patients on a waiting list for lung transplantation, mean age 57.3 ± 9.4 years, most commonly with COPD (41.5%) or interstitial lung disease (30.6%).
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Publication status
- Preprint · peer-review status not confirmed
- Original publication
- September 29, 2026
Frailty assessment while awaiting lung transplantation
The abstract states that frailty assessment matters while awaiting lung transplantation, because frailty is associated with disability and death before and after transplantation. The authors assessed known risk factors and frailty indicators in patients classified as frail, pre-frail or non-frail by two instruments: the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and the Frailty Instrument for primary care of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE-FI). They also examined whether SHARE-FI could serve as a proxy to detect frail patients. These are associations described in the abstract, not proof that frailty causes these outcomes.
Supporting source [1]
82 candidates: SPPB and SHARE-FI classifications differ
Frailty was assessed with SPPB and SHARE-FI in 82 patients on a waiting list for lung transplantation; demographic, anthropomorphic and clinical variables were collected, and patients underwent respiratory/cardiorespiratory, biochemical and quadriceps muscle performance assessment. Mean age was 57.3 ± 9.4 years; COPD (41.5%) and interstitial lung disease (ILD) (30.6%) were the most common transplant indications. By SPPB, 4 (4.9%), 13 (15.9%) and 65 (79.3%) patients were frail, pre-frail and non-frail; by SHARE-FI these figures were 26 (31.7%), 41 (50%) and 15 (18.3%). SPPB found differences between frail and pre-frail patients in physical performance (6MWD) and muscle assessment, while SHARE-FI found differences in age, 6MWD and oxygen saturation, with a trend in muscle strength.
Supporting source [1]
Discrimination by disease and weak agreement
For COPD and ILD, frailty discrimination was better with SPPB than with SHARE-FI. Concordance between the two measurements was weak. All SPPB-frail ILD patients were detected by SHARE-FI, so SHARE-FI seems appropriate as a preliminary screening instrument for patients with ILD. The abstract does not report follow-up, outcomes after transplantation or how the instruments relate to later events; it is an abstract only, and the full text was not reviewed.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
Abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. The abstract reports no follow-up, no post-transplant outcomes and no causal testing; the described associations do not show that frailty causes disability or death.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Planas-Pascual B, Bello I, Fernández-Piñar V, Spiliopoulou S, Deu-Martín M, Ballesteros-Reviriego G, Berasetegui-García C, Ribas-Ball M, Gómez-Garrido A. · europepmc.org · September 29, 2026