No two people age exactly alike. Some of us remain vigorous and cognitively intact until we take our last breath while others experience physical and mental decline during the later years. And some become “frail”: While there’s no definitive set of symptoms that exactly describe frailty, generally speaking, frailty includes at least 3 of the following symptoms: low physical activity, weak grip strength, low energy, slow walking speed, and non-deliberate weight loss. What’s most critical to understand about frailty, however, is that it’s not just a byproduct of aging but an actual medical condition deserving of attention and diagnosis, especially given that those considered frail are at increased risk for hospitalization and institutionalization, as well as a lower quality of life and higher risk of death. 

Recently, scientists from Monash University in Australia published their findings of the global incidence of frailty among community-dwelling older adults around the world. With their conclusion that there is a high risk of frailty among this growing patient population, these researchers are trying to call attention to what is clearly becoming a public health threat. It’s especially worrisome given that there is also new research suggesting that frailty could make people more susceptible to Alzheimer’s. You can read more about these newly published studies here and here.

How to combat frailty? Here are some suggestions from Johns Hopkins to consider. And from the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society comes word that your overall diet is also important in keeping frailty at bay.