The Importance of Nutrition in a Conceptual Framework of Frailty Syndrome

Abstract

Purpose

The present review intends to present different concepts of frailty syndrome in aging and construct a conceptual framework from these concepts, and highlight the importance of nutrition in this framework.

Recent Findings

Frailty is an important pre-disability syndrome, with a multifactorial origin, and as such, needs to be monitored and treated. Nutritional aspects, such as the anabolic resistance to proteins, the inflammatory and oxidative status, and nutritional risk, are strong determinants of frailty and are suggested, therefore, to be part of the framework.

Summary

Most publications on frailty have focused mainly on the biological aspects of this condition, and nutrition is not directly mentioned in the current definitions of frailty. We, herein, propose a conceptual framework to include environmental, demographic, and socioeconomic aspects when defining frailty; the core framework was complemented with second- and third-level variables, to include and highlight nutritional aspects.

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