The frailty syndrome: definition and natural history

Clin Geriatr Med. 2011 Feb;27(1):1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.cger.2010.08.009.

Abstract

This article reviews the current state of knowledge regarding the epidemiology of frailty by focusing on 6 specific areas: (1) clinical definitions of frailty, (2) evidence of frailty as a medical syndrome, (3) prevalence and incidence of frailty by age, gender, race, and ethnicity, (4) transitions between discrete frailty states, (5) natural history of manifestations of frailty criteria, and (6) behavior modifications as precursors to the development of clinical frailty.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Aging* / physiology
  • Aging* / psychology
  • Asthenia / epidemiology*
  • Female
  • Frail Elderly*
  • Geriatric Assessment
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Muscle Weakness / epidemiology*
  • Natural History
  • Phenotype
  • Prevalence
  • Syndrome
  • Time Factors