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Dlima SD, Hall A, Aminu AQ, Akpan A, Todd C, Vardy ERLC. Frailty: a global health challenge in need of local action. BMJ Glob Health 2024; 9:e015173. [PMID: 39122463 PMCID: PMC11331888 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2024-015173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Frailty is a complex, age-related clinical condition that involves multiple contributing factors and raises the risk of adverse outcomes in older people. Given global population ageing trends, the growing prevalence and incidence of frailty pose significant challenges to health and social care systems in both high-income and lower-income countries. In this review, we highlight the disproportionate representation of research on frailty screening and management from high-income countries, despite how lower-income countries are projected to have a larger share of older people aged ≥60. However, more frailty research has been emerging from lower-income countries in recent years, paving the way for more context-specific guidelines and studies that validate frailty assessment tools and evaluate frailty interventions in the population. We then present further considerations for contextualising frailty in research and practice in lower-income countries. First, the heterogeneous manifestations of frailty call for research that reflects different geographies, populations, health systems, community settings and policy priorities; this can be driven by supportive collaborative systems between high-income and lower-income countries. Second, the global narrative around frailty and ageing needs re-evaluation, given the negative connotations linked with frailty and the introduction of intrinsic capacity by the World Health Organization as a measure of functional reserves throughout the life course. Finally, the social determinants of health as possible risk factors for frailty in lower-income countries and global majority populations, and potential socioeconomic threats of frailty to national economies warrant proactive frailty screening in these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Schenelle Dayna Dlima
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Applied Research Collaboration - Greater Manchester, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Policy Research Unit in Older People and Frailty / Healthy Ageing, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Alex Hall
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Policy Research Unit in Older People and Frailty / Healthy Ageing, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Abodunrin Quadri Aminu
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Policy Research Unit in Older People and Frailty / Healthy Ageing, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Asangaedem Akpan
- Bunbury Regional Hospital, Bunbury, Western Australia, Australia
- University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Chris Todd
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Applied Research Collaboration - Greater Manchester, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Policy Research Unit in Older People and Frailty / Healthy Ageing, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Emma R L C Vardy
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Applied Research Collaboration - Greater Manchester, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK
- Oldham Care Organisation, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Rochdale Road, Oldham, UK
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Wang S, Li Q, Wang S, Huang C, Xue QL, Szanton SL, Liu M. Sustained frailty remission and dementia risk in older adults: A longitudinal study. Alzheimers Dement 2024. [PMID: 39016447 DOI: 10.1002/alz.14109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Physical frailty is reversible, but little is known about the sustainability of frailty remission and its impact on dementia. METHODS Data were derived from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) (2011 to 2021). Physical frailty was assessed using the Fried frailty phenotype, and frailty transition patterns across three waves were defined. The relationship of sustained frailty remission with incident dementia was examined using Cox proportional regression, stratified by age and gender. RESULTS Among 1931 participants, 348 (18.0%) were capable of sustained frailty remission. During the 8-year follow-up, 279 participants developed dementia. In a fully adjusted model, sustained remission was associated with a lower risk of dementia (hazard ratio = 0.66, 95% confidence interval = 0.47 to 0.93). The association was more pronounced among younger-old and male participants but not observed among their counterparts. DISCUSSION Sustained frailty remission was associated with a reduced risk of developing dementia. Physical frailty could be an essential forewarning of dementia and a target for interventions. HIGHLIGHTS We provided new insights into the natural progression of frailty and its impact on dementia risk using a nationally representative sample Sustained frailty remission reduced risk of incident dementia. Age and gender played a role in the frailty-dementia link, and thus individualized dementia risk screening is necessary. Physical frailty could be an essential forewarning of cognitive decline and an ideal target for interventions to prevent dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuomin Wang
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qianyuan Li
- Xiangya School of Nursing, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shanshan Wang
- School of Nursing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chongmei Huang
- School of Nursing, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Qian-Li Xue
- Johns Hopkins Center on Aging and Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sarah L Szanton
- School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Minhui Liu
- School of Nursing, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, China
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Wang Z, Ruan H, Li L, Song N, He S. Association of changes in frailty status with the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death in older people: results from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). BMC Geriatr 2024; 24:96. [PMID: 38267867 PMCID: PMC10809745 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04682-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated the association between changes in frailty status and all-cause mortality, inconsistent results were reported. What's more, studies that evaluated the effect of changes of frailty on cardiovascular death in older population are scanty. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the association of such changes with the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death in older people, using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). METHODS A total of 2805 older participants from two consecutive waves (i.e. 2011 and 2014) of the CLHLS were included for analysis. Based on the changes in frailty status from wave 2011 to wave 2014, participants were categorized into 4 subgroups, including sustained pre/frailty, robustness to pre/frailty, pre/frailty to robustness and sustained robustness. Study outcomes were all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death, and Cox regression analysis examined the association of changes in frailty status with outcomes. RESULTS From wave 2011 to wave 2014, 33.2% of the participants had frailty transitions. From wave 2014 to wave 2018, there were 952 all-cause mortalities and 170 cardiovascular deaths during a follow-up of 9530.1 person-years, and Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that cumulative incidences of the two outcomes were significantly lower in more robust participants (all log-rank p < 0.001). Compared with the subgroup of sustained pre/frailty, the fully adjusted HRs of all-cause mortality were 0.61 (95% CI: 0.51-0.73, p < 0.001), 0.51 (95% CI: 0.42-0.63, p < 0.001) and 0.41 (0.34-0.49, p < 0.001) in the subgroup of robustness to pre/frailty, the subgroup of pre/frailty to robustness, and the subgroup of sustained robustness, respectively. The fully adjusted HRs of cardiovascular death were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.52-1.19, p = 0.256) in the subgroup of robustness to pre/frailty, 0.45 (95% CI: 0.26-0.76, p = 0.003) in the subgroup of pre/frailty to robustness and 0.51 (0.33-0.78, p = 0.002) in the subgroup of sustained robustness when comparing to the subgroup of sustained pre/frailty, respectively. Stratified analysis and extensive sensitivity analyses revealed similar results. CONCLUSIONS Frailty is a dynamic process, and improved frailty and remaining robust are significantly associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular death in older people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqiong Wang
- Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No.37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, China
| | - Haiyan Ruan
- Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No.37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, China
- Department of Cardiology, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shuangliu District, Chengdu, China
| | - Liying Li
- Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No.37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, China
| | - Ningying Song
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, China.
| | - Sen He
- Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No.37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, China.
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Uemura K, Kamitani T, Yamada M. Frailty and Environmental Attributes in Older Adults: Insight from an Ecological Model. Phys Ther Res 2023; 26:71-77. [PMID: 38125292 PMCID: PMC10730123 DOI: 10.1298/ptr.r0027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Many studies on frailty have primarily focused on individual-level risk factors such as demographics and lifestyle. While guidelines for frailty management recommend modifications to an individual's lifestyle, their lifestyle behaviors are significantly influenced by their surroundings. Recently, the association between frailty and environmental attributes has drawn attention as a result of the increase in evidence that multiple factors affect health conditions and behaviors associated with frailty. These findings can be organized based on an ecological model involving five nested levels that influence an individual's behaviors, namely, an intrapersonal/individual core (age, education, and attitude), an interpersonal level (persons and groups), an organizational/institutional level (organization and workplace), a community level (natural, built, and social environments), and a system/public policy level (public policies from local to national). This study reviewed possible factors associated with frailty from the onset and its progression at each level of the ecological model and their implications regarding frailty prevention. Additionally, we introduce a policy-level approach for frailty prevention in Japan-which encourages residents to engage in the local society by participating in community places or groups that are referred to as "Kayoi-no-ba"-and aggregate its status from a government report. This perspective on community building is consistent with the concept of an ecological model. However, few studies have verified the effects of policy- or system-level approaches on disability and frailty prevention. Further studies from an ecological perspective are needed to fulfill multilevel interventions for frailty prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuki Uemura
- Graduate School of Rehabilitation Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Kamitani
- Section of Education for Clinical Research, Kyoto University Hospital, Japan
| | - Minoru Yamada
- Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan
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Alshanberi AM. Frailty in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia-Prevalence and Management, Where Are We? Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1715. [PMID: 37372833 PMCID: PMC10298653 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11121715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
A recent report from the United Nations state that the percentage of elderly individuals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) will witness a sharp increase in the next three decades (5.6% in 2017 to 23% by 2050). This situation will lead to an increased prevalence of comorbidities and hence, will require close monitoring and constant care of such individuals who are prone to suffer from complications such as arthritis, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, neurological disorders, etc. Frailty is one such age-related phenomenon which enhances the risk of falling, functional restrictions and greater vulnerability to adverse consequences, which tend to lead to institutionalization. Such factors highlight the importance of the urgent awareness for circumventing the progression of frailty toward a compromised health status. This concise report is an attempt to sum up the relevant research articles published with regard to frailty and concomitant diseases in the last 5 years. It also sums up the research on frailty in the KSA elderly population, till date. This article reflects the opinions of an author on tackling such issues through a well-directed mechanism involving interdisciplinary transitional care and geriatric co-management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asim Muhammed Alshanberi
- Department of Community Medicine and Pilgrims Health Care, Umm Alqura University, Makkah 24382, Saudi Arabia; or ; Tel.: +966-555-533-389
- Medicine Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah 21442, Saudi Arabia
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