Frailty syndrome

Frailty syndrome
Other namesFrailty
A woman supporting herself with a walking frame.
SpecialtyGeriatrics

Frailty or frailty syndrome refers to a state of health in which older adults gradually lose their bodies' in-built reserves and functioning. This makes them more vulnerable, less able to recover and even apparently minor events (infections, environmental changes) can have drastic impacts on their physical and mental health.[1][2]

Frailty can have various symptoms including muscle weakness (reduced grip strength), slower walking speed, exhaustion, unintentional weight loss, and frequent falls.[3][4] Older people with certain medical conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and dementia, are also more likely to have frailty.[5][6] In addition, adults living with frailty face more symptoms of anxiety and depression than those who do not.[7]

Frailty is not an inevitable part of aging. Its development can be prevented, delayed and its progress slowed.[8][9] The most effective ways of preventing or improving frailty are regular physical activity and a healthy diet.[9][10]

The prevalence of frailty varies based on countries and the assessment technique but it is estimated to range from 12% to 24% in people over 50.[11]

Frailty can have impacts on public health due to the factors that comprise the syndrome affecting physical and mental health outcomes. There are several ways to identify, prevent, and mitigate the prevalence of frailty and the evaluation of frailty can be done through clinical assessments created to combine recognized signs and symptoms of frailty.

  1. ^ Fit for Frailty Part 1. Consensus best practice guidance for the care of older people living in community and outpatient settings (PDF) (Report). British Geriatrics Society. 2014. ISBN 978-0-9929663-1-7.
  2. ^ "What is frailty?". Age UK. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
  3. ^ "Guidelines on Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE): Guidance for Person-Centred Assessment and Pathways in Primary Care". WHO Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing: Topic focus: frailty and intrinsic capacity: Report of consortium meeting 1–2 December 2016 in Geneva, Switzerland (PDF) (Report). World Health Organization. 2017. hdl:10665/272437/WHO-FWC-ALC-17.2-eng. WHO/FWC/ALC/17.2.
  4. ^ Dlima SD, Hall A, Aminu AQ, Akpan A, Todd C, Vardy ER (August 2024). "Frailty: a global health challenge in need of local action". BMJ Global Health. 9 (8): e015173. doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015173. PMC 11331888. PMID 39122463.
  5. ^ Allison R, Assadzandi S, Adelman M (February 2021). "Frailty: Evaluation and Management". American Family Physician. 103 (4): 219–226. PMID 33587574.
  6. ^ "How to avoid frailty and stay strong as you age". www.heart.org. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  7. ^ Ní Mhaoláin AM, Fan CW, Romero-Ortuno R, Cogan L, Cunningham C, Kenny RA, et al. (August 2012). "Frailty, depression, and anxiety in later life". International Psychogeriatrics. 24 (8): 1265–1274. doi:10.1017/S1041610211002110. hdl:2262/67243. PMID 22333477.
  8. ^ Imison C (24 October 2024). "Frailty: research shows how to improve care". NIHR Evidence. National Institute for Health and Care Research. doi:10.3310/nihrevidence_64717.
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Negm AM, Kennedy CC, Thabane L, Veroniki AA, Adachi JD, Richardson J, et al. (October 2019). "Management of Frailty: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials". Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 20 (10): 1190–1198. doi:10.1016/j.jamda.2019.08.009. PMID 31564464.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference O'Caoimh_2021 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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