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Burden of frailty in the elderly population: perspectives for a public health challenge

2015; BioMed Central; Volume: 73; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1186/s13690-015-0068-x

2049-3258

Fanny Buckinx, Yves Rolland, Jean‐Yves Reginster, Céline Ricour, Jean Pétermans, Olivier Bruyère,

Health Systems, Economic Evaluations, Quality of Life

Frailty is a major health condition associated with ageing. Although the concept is almost universally accepted, its operational definition remains controversial. Anyway, this geriatric condition represents a huge potential public health issue at both the patient and the societal levels because of its multiple clinical, societal consequences and its dynamic nature. Here, we review existing definitions and assessment tools for frailty, we highlight consequences of this geriatric condition and we discuss the importance of its screening and prevention to limit its public health burden.