Abstract
This review article summarizes how frailty can be considered in relation to deficit accumulation. Recalling that frailty is an age-associated, nonspecific vulnerability, we consider symptoms, signs, diseases, and disabilities as deficits, which are combined in a frailty index. An individual's frailty index score reflects the proportion of potential deficits present in that person, and indicates the likelihood that frailty is present. Although based on a simple count, the frailty index shows several interesting properties, including a characteristic rate of accumulation, a submaximal limit, and characteristic changes with age in its distribution. The frailty index, as a state variable, is able to quantitatively summarize vulnerability. Future studies include the application of network analyses and stochastic analytical techniques to the evaluation of the frailty index and the description of other state variables in relation to frailty.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 722-727 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Journals of Gerontology - Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences |
| Volume | 62 |
| Issue number | 7 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 2007 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Kenneth Rockwood receives career support from the Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation as the Kathryn Allen Weldon Professor of Alzheimer Research. Some of the analyses included in this review were conducted with CIHR support through grants MOP-62823 (Principal Investigator [PI], K.R.) and MOP-64169 (PI: A.M.). The authors assert no proprietary interest in this work.
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Ageing
- Geriatrics and Gerontology