title: A new operational definition of frailty: the Frailty Trait Scale.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide a new instrument to diagnose frailty, the Frailty Trait Scale (FTS), that allows a more precise assessment and monitoring of individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective population-based cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Toledo Study for Healthy Aging, Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 1972 men and women aged 65 years or older.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified 7 frailty dimensions (energy balance-nutrition, physical activity, nervous system, vascular system, strength, endurance, and gait speed) represented by 12 items. Each item was pondered based on the quintiles of its distribution in the study population. Validity was evaluated by testing its association with factors related to frailty and its predictive value for adverse events. This predictive capacity was further compared with the capacity of 2 well-established frailty models (the frailty phenotype and the Frailty Index).
  
  
  RESULTS
  FTS score was associated with several comorbidities and biomarkers classically associated with frailty. The FTS was associated with the incidence of hospitalization and mortality (hazard ratio associated with a score in the highest quartile [versus the first quartile] = 2.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6-3.4, and 2.5, 95% CI 1.8-3.6, respectively). Compared with Fried et al's definition, the FTS showed a better predictor for hospitalization in persons younger than 80 (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.65 vs 0.62, P = .01), and for mortality in the oldest group (AUC = 0.77 vs 0.72, P = .02). FTS showed similar predictive value to the Frailty Index.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FTS associates with many of the factors linked to frailty and has a similar predictive capacity to that provided by the classical instruments. Its characteristics offer some advantages over them, with potential utility in research and clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital Virgen del Valle, Complejo Hospitalario de Toledo, Toledo, Spain. Electronic address: franjogarcia@telefonica.net.
authors.forename: Francisco José
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: García-García
authors.affiliation: Inserm, CESP Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Hormones and Cardiovascular Disease, University Paris Sud, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: Laure
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carcaillon
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Jesus
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernandez-Tresguerres
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital Virgen del Valle, Complejo Hospitalario de Toledo, Toledo, Spain.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfaro
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Larrion
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital Virgen del Valle, Complejo Hospitalario de Toledo, Toledo, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Hospital Universitario de Getafe, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Leocadio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Mañas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve
keywords: Weakness; aging; comorbidity; frailty; lifestyle; mortality; sarcopenia