Successful Aging and Frailty: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The terms successful aging (SA) and frailty appear to have much in common, both in terms of overlapping constructs and common challenges with consensus and operationalization. The aim of this review is to summarize existing literature that defines that relationship. Primary and secondary source articles that used either term in the title or abstract were systematically reviewed for relevance to the study objective. Of 61 articles that met these criteria, 30 were secondary source, and of these four were highly relevant. Four of the remaining 31 original research articles were selected, and the prevalence of frailty and SA in populations with different characteristics were described and compared. The same model of frailty was used in all primary studies, but definitions for successful aging were heterogeneous. The prevalence of frailty ranged from 11.8% to 44.0% and that of SA ranged from 10.4% to 47.2%. The definitions used for each, especially the extent of multidimensionality, appeared to reflect the degree of overlap between SA and frailty. Whether frailty and SA are part of the same or different constructs, there is a pressing need for an ordered taxonomy to advance research that translates into clinical practice.

The relationship between sleep–wake disturbances and frailty among older adults: A systematic review

“…The outcome was frailty as measured by any validated tool, for example, the modified versions of Fried et al’s () proposal, Canadian Study of Health and Aging tool and Edmonton Frail Scale. Studies that measured age‐related conditions similar to frailty—including healthy aging, successful aging, sarcopenia, and physical performances—were excluded, as there are controversies about whether these concepts and frailty can be accommodated under the same construct (Cesari, Landi, Vellas, Bernabei, & Marzetti, ; Rolfson, ). In addition, studies that focused on the measurement of frailty or used frailty as a confounder were also excluded.…”

Frailty and functional dependence in older population: lessons from the FREEDOM Limousin – Nouvelle Aquitaine Cohort Study

“…[ 2 ] Longer life promotes a progressively higher prevalence of chronic age-related comorbidities and disabling illness, including cardiovascular, metabolic, musculoskeletal, sensorial and cognitive disorders, and increasing risk of psychological distress, social disconnection, loss of independence, and dependency at the end of life [ 3 , 4 ]. In line with the geriatric community, [ 5 – 7 ] the World Health Organization (WHO) recently asked to adopt a global strategy to keep the elderly healthy, including providing long-term integrated care to maintain a level of functional ability in an age-friendly environment [ 4 ]. The objective is to keep people healthy based on the notion of functional ability and not just to treat the acute or chronic diseases [ 4 , 5 , 8 ].…”

Frailty Phenotype and Cause-Specific Mortality in the United States

“…Frailty is broadly described as a condition resulting from deficits in multiple interconnected bodily systems, which impedes response to or recovery from physiological stressors (1). Frailty is common in both clinical and community settings (2)(3)(4)(5)(6) and predicts many adverse health outcomes, including disabilities, hospitalizations, surgical complications, and death (3,7-10). Although there is growing evidence regarding the causes and consequences of frailty, less is known about specific causes of death among frail individuals.…”