title: Frailty: An Emerging Public Health Priority.
abstract: The absolute and relative increases in the number of older persons are evident worldwide, from the most developed countries to the lowest-income regions. Multimorbidity and need for social support increase with age. Age-related conditions and, in particular, disabilities are a significant burden for the person, his or her family, and public health care systems. To guarantee the sustainability of public health systems and improve the quality of care provided, it is becoming urgent to act to prevent and delay the disabling cascade. Current evidence shows that too large a proportion of community-dwelling older people present risk factors for major health-related events and unmet clinical needs. In this scenario, the "frailty syndrome" is a condition of special interest. Frailty is a status of extreme vulnerability to endogenous and exogenous stressors exposing the individual to a higher risk of negative health-related outcomes. Frailty may represent a transition phase between successful aging and disability, and a condition to target for restoring robustness in the individual at risk. Given its syndromic nature, targeting frailty requires a comprehensive approach. The identification of frailty as a target for implementing preventive interventions against age-related conditions is pivotal. Every effort should be made by health care authorities to maximize efforts in this field, balancing priorities, needs, and resources. Raising awareness about frailty and age-related conditions in the population is important for effective prevention, and should lead to the promotion of lifelong healthy behaviors and lifestyle.
authors.affiliation: Gérontopôle, University Hospital of Toulouse, Toulouse, France; INSERM UMR1027, University of Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France. Electronic address: macesari@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cesari
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.affiliation: Public Health Foundation of India, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Jotheeswaran Amuthavalli
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Thiyagarajan
authors.affiliation: Department of Ageing and Life Course, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Islene Araujo
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: De Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Neurosciences and Orthopaedics, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Roma, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bernabei
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Neurobiology and Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Piu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Geriatrics, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Luis Miguel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gutierrez-Robledo
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation, Geneva Medical School and University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO.
authors.forename: John E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Morley
authors.affiliation: HelpAge International, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, University Hospital of Getafe, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Leocadio
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodriguez Manas
authors.affiliation: Foundation for Diabetes Research in Older People, Luton, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Chang Won
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Won
authors.affiliation: Department of Ageing and Life Course, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beard
authors.affiliation: Gérontopôle, University Hospital of Toulouse, Toulouse, France; INSERM UMR1027, University of Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vellas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D016330:Frail Elderly; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health
keywords: Elderly; age-related conditions; aging; capacity; disability; frailty; function; health care; prevention; public health; risk assessment