1. Colin M. Thomas MD, MPH
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Division of Geriatric Medicine
University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine
Associate Chief of Medicine, VA San Diego Healthcare
3. What is Frailty?
Cumulative decline in many
physiological systems
A state of vulnerability where minor
stressors may result in significant
decline in health status
Associated with adverse outcomes like
falls, disability, nursing home placement
and mortality
5. Decline in
multiple systems
Decreased
Physical Activity
Inadequate
Nutrition
Intolerance of
stressor events
Increasing
dependence
Lancet 2013; 381: 752–62
6. Models of Frailty
Cumulative Deficit Model
Musculoskeletal function
Aerobic capacity
Cognitive function
Nutrition
Phenotype model
Weight loss
Exhaustion
Energy expenditure
Gait speed
Grip strength
7. Frailty is common
Prevalence
15% of non-institutionalized elders are frail
45% are pre-frail
Journals of Geronology A Biol Sci Med Sci, 2015. 70(11), 1427-1434.
8. Frailty is associated with
adverse outcomes
Outcome Hazard Ratio 95% CI Study
Falls 2.44 (1.95-3.04) SOF
Disability 2.79 (2.31-3.37) SOF
Hospitalization 1.27 (1.11-1.46) CHS
Nursing Home
Placement
2.60
23.98
(1.36-4.96)
(4.45-129.2)
CSHA
WHAS
Mortality 3.69 (2.26-6.02) CSHA
SOF: Arch Intern Med 2008; 168: 382–89.
CHS: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2001; 56: M146–56.
CSHA: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2004; 59: 1310–17.
WHAS: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2006; 61: 262–66.
10. Physical Frailty
Muscle mass
Strength
Balance
Bone density
Increased risk of falls and injury
11. Normal aging and muscular
function
By the age of 70, the cross-sectional area of
skeletal muscle is reduced by up to 25–30%
and muscle strength is reduced by 30–40%
Excretion of urinary creatinine, reflecting total
muscle mass, decreases by nearly 50%
between the ages of 20 and 90 yr
Loss of strength continues to fall at a rate of 1–
2% per year
Irreversible decrease in the total number of
individual muscle fibers and (reversible?)
atrophy of the remaining fibers
A. McArdle et al. Ageing Research Reviews 1 (2002) 79–93
13. Nutritional frailty
Appetite
Taste and smell
Oral health
Digestion
Economic factors
Ability to acquire and prepare food
Chronic illness
Annu. Rev. Nutr. 2002. 22:309–23
14. Cognitive Frailty
Cognition not included in commonly
used frailty phenotype measures
Non-frail older adults with impaired
cognition are more likely to become frail
Frail adults with impaired cognition are
more likely to become disabled or die
JAGS 56:2292–2297, 2008
15. Psycho-social Frailty
Mental health measures are not included in
common frailty phenotype measures
Depression and frailty frequently co-occur
in the elderly population
Social vulnerability is associated with
higher mortality, lower educational level and
lower income
J Am Geriatr Soc 62:500–505, 2014.
J Frailty Aging. 2013; 2(3): 121–124.
Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2009;64B:105-117.
16. But what can we do about
frailty?
Can we prevent or
reverse frailty?
17. Evidence based interventions for
frailty
Resistance exercise interventions for
physical frailty
Strength training resulted in a 30% increase
in muscle fiber size
Resistance training can slow or partially
reverse the process of aging atrophy of
skeletal muscles
Strength training can improve VO2 max and
exercise treadmill time
Journal of Gerontology:BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES. 2000, 55A(7), B347–B354
Arch Intern Med. 2002 Mar 25;162(6):673-8
18. ASK WELL
Is it true that the muscle mass we lose at, say, 60 years
old cannot be regained?
Reader Question • 217 votes
I'm a 77-year-old man in good health. I've dropped 10
pounds over the last 40 years, all muscle. Is there any
way for someone my age to regain muscle mass
without resorting to steroids?
Reader Question • 510 votes
Can You Regain Muscle Mass After Age 60?
By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS
DECEMBER 2, 2016 6:21 AM
19. Evidence based interventions
for frailty
Intensive training intervention for pre-frail
older adults compared to home exercise
program
Structured program includes
Flexibility, light resistance, balance
Resistance
Endurance
Results
Improve physical performance
Increase in VO2 max
Improve functional status score
J Am Geriatr Soc 50:1921–1928, 2002.
20. Evidence based interventions for
frailty
Bone Mineral Density
Demonstrated to increase with
weight bearing activity and high
intensity resistance exercise
Effective in elderly men and
women
Fracture risk may also be
improved by
○ Remodeling
○ Improved strength and balance
Scand J Med Sci Sports 2004: 14: 16–23
21. Evidence based interventions for
frailty
Nutrition
Demonstrated to increase body weight and lean
body mass
Preponderance of trials show no effect on
functional status
Cognitive
Limited evidence of benefit of cognitive rehab
therapies
Psychosocial
Caregiver burden associated with increased risk
of nursing home admission
The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging 19, 3, 250-257.
Neuropsychol Rev (2013) 23: 63.
J Gerontol (1992) 47 (2): S73-S79.
23. Technology interventions for physical
frailty
Exercise games
Require adaptation for balance, strength, vision
and mobility deficits
Team games can capitalize on social interactions
Activities, Adaptation and Aging, 32(3-4), 238-239.
24. Technology interventions for physical
frailty
Self monitoring tools
Can define goals and provide positive feedback
and reminders
Adapt interfaces to accommodate common
deficits
Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 26(4), 333.
25. Technology interventions for
nutritional frailty
Smart scales
Body weight
Kitchen scales
Integrate calorie intake and expenditure
The American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, 41(4), 810-17.
26. Technology interventions for
cognitive impairment
Exercise
Cognitive training games
Gains are specific and limited
to the area being trained
Cognitive training does not
measurably improve
functional capacity
J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol. 2007;20(4):239-249.
JAMA. 2002;288(18):2271-2281.
27. Technology interventions for
social isolation
Telephone and video live
interaction
E-mail
Social networks
Limitations
Cost
Adoption rates
Accessibility
Risks
The Gerontologist, 55(3), 412-421.
28. Summary
Cumulative decline in multiple systems
Increased vulnerability to stressors
Increased rates of complications,
institutionalization and mortality
Some effective interventions to mitigate
and reverse declines
Promising technology that needs to be
assessed
Frailty is a little like obscenity, hard to define, but you know it when you see it. (Justice Potter Stewart)
What does this sign show?
Stooped posture
Poor balance
Short steps
Slow walking speed
Need for assistive device
Dependence for ADL’s
Cognitive impairment
Supportive group living environment
Canadian Study on Health and Aging (CSHA) evaluated 92 dichotomous variables in 4 categories and calculated an index # impaired variables/total
SOF: Study of Osteoporotic Fractures
CHS: Cardiovascular Health Study
CSHA: Canadian Study of Health and Aging
WHAS: Women’s Health and Aging Study
MRI of thigh.
Similar thigh circumference.
Fat is white.
Muscle mass decreased. Fat increased.
Bone is black. Marrow is white (fat).
A complex set of factors contributes to nutritional frailty
Elderly often become isolated due to retirement, low income, decreased mobility and shrinking peer group
Incontinence, sensory deficits further limit their socialization
29% of community dwelling seniors live alone
Data limited to associations between frailty and SES factors in cross sectional studies.
Most evidence is for prevention rather than reversal of frailty.
The most robust and consistent evidence demonstrates benefits of resistance training to reverse weakness and muscle atrophy associated with frailty.
VO2 max is the overall ability of the heart and lungs to deliver oxygen during exercise
A-V O2 difference is the ability of your muscles to extract oxygen from your blood
The structured program consisted of three months each of listed elements.
Nutrition is probably a necessary component of a multi-component intervention but ineffective as an isolated intervention
Cognitive rehab therapies not studied specifically in frailty. Demonstrable improvements on psychometric testing but no evidence of functional improvement or long term benefits.
Consistent evidence that caregiver support can delay placement in nursing homes.
San Diego Deputy DA for elder abuse uses video chat daily with his elderly mother in the UK
Cell phone use has grown faster than computer use in the elderly
Mobile & Wireless technology like smartphones and tablets make technology more accessible to elders with limited mobility
Impairments of Vision Hearing and Dexterity may be barriers
Cost includes both broadband access and devices
Accessibility includes ability to interact as well as troubleshoot/support
On-line interactions can present new vulnerabilities to elders for financial abuse and scams