title: Frailty consensus: a call to action.
abstract: Frailty is a clinical state in which there is an increase in an individual's vulnerability for developing increased dependency and/or mortality when exposed to a stressor. Frailty can occur as the result of a range of diseases and medical conditions. A consensus group consisting of delegates from 6 major international, European, and US societies created 4 major consensus points on a specific form of frailty: physical frailty. 1. Physical frailty is an important medical syndrome. The group defined physical frailty as "a medical syndrome with multiple causes and contributors that is characterized by diminished strength, endurance, and reduced physiologic function that increases an individual's vulnerability for developing increased dependency and/or death." 2. Physical frailty can potentially be prevented or treated with specific modalities, such as exercise, protein-calorie supplementation, vitamin D, and reduction of polypharmacy. 3. Simple, rapid screening tests have been developed and validated, such as the simple FRAIL scale, to allow physicians to objectively recognize frail persons. 4. For the purposes of optimally managing individuals with physical frailty, all persons older than 70 years and all individuals with significant weight loss (>5%) due to chronic disease should be screened for frailty.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA. morley@slu.edu
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vellas
authors.forename: G Abellan
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: van Kan
authors.forename: Stefan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Anker
authors.forename: Juergen M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bauer
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bernabei
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cesari
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Chumlea
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Doehner
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Linda P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Fried
authors.forename: Jack M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Guralnik
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Katz
authors.forename: Theodore K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Malmstrom
authors.forename: Roger J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: McCarter
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gutierrez Robledo
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rockwood
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: von Haehling
authors.forename: Maurits F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Vandewoude
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walston
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003697:Delphi Technique; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D015444:Exercise; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000517:prevention & control; D008403:Mass Screening; D019338:Polypharmacy; D018570:Risk Assessment; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D014815:Vitamins; D014807:Vitamin D