title: [Prevention of frailty in the elderly: a demographic challenge].
abstract: World population is ageing. This phenomenon is unprecedented, universal, long-lasting and has important implications. Unprecedented, because never before in human history, so many individuals have reached an advanced age. Universal, because all countries are now concerned. Long-lasting, because ageing started in the second half of the XXth century and will become even more pronounced over the XXIst century. With important implications, because it has and will have substantial consequences on human life and social composition. This article reviews quantitative data on ageing to appraise its extent and implication, the goal being to extend and stimulate the debate on ageing. International data are first presented, then analysis moves to Belgium estimates.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Epidémiologie, Santé Publique et d'Economie de la Santé, Université de Liège, l'Organisation Mondiale de la Santé pour les Aspects de Santé Publique des Affections Rhumatismales, Liège.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ethgen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Richy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gosset
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hanssens
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Reginster
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D003710:Demography; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D011157:Population Dynamics; D017678:Sex Distribution