The Dynamics of Frailty Among Older Adults

Frailty is a central research topic in clinical geriatrics, geroscience, and public health. It is variably defined but almost always includes loss of physiological reserve and lower tolerance for stressful events. The most common definition requires the presence of 3 or more of 5 indicators-weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slowness, and low physical activity-with prefrail defined as meeting 1 to 2 indicators. 1 Other definitions are broader and include a wider array of symptoms, signs, functional impairment, and abnormal laboratory values. 2 Frailty is a risk factor for many population health