Frailty—and Its Dangerous Effects—Might Be Preventable

Current Clinical Issues21 September 2004Frailty—and Its Dangerous Effects—Might Be PreventableJennifer Fisher WilsonJennifer Fisher WilsonAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-6-200409210-00035 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail The differences between a 70-year-old who is robust and one who is frail are easily detectible. Frail older patients are visibly more vulnerable, withdrawn, unsteady, and weak, and they tend to have more complications as they age and a higher rate of hospitalization. In short, doctors know frailty when they see it. But until recently, diagnosing frailty was mostly subjective, and physicians seldom thought of specific treatment. Now medicine has an objective method for diagnosis, and this new method is opening the door for potential treatments. 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