NNIW83 - Frailty Pathophysiology, Phenotype, and Patient Care

146 min read / 04.03.2017 / Clinical Nutrition Series 83 Volumes

Growth & Development

Worldwide, the population aged 65 years and more is expected to grow from near 500 million people in 2004 to an estimated 2 billion people by 2050...

Worldwide, the population aged 65 years and more is expected to grow from near 500 million people in 2004 to an estimated 2 billion people by 2050. The geriatric syndrome of frailty is likely to affect a large number of elderly living in the community, as approximately 14% of those are frail and 43% are prefrail based on findings of the Survey of Health, Aging and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) conducted in 10 major European countries.In a frail state, older adults are at greater risk for adverse outcomes, including falls and admissions to hospitals and nursing homes. Early action is warranted in vulnerable individuals because frailty is a predisabled condition, disability is costly, and initiating intervention may modify the frailty trajectory. Yet, today it is more common for older adults to progress to a worsened level of frailty than to transition to an improvement. The development and application of evolving science is important for better patient-centric health care.