RESULTS Severity of frailty syndrome significantly correlated with post-surgical mortality rates and with many although not all post-surgical complications .
These relationships emerge in different type of surgical procedures and patients ' features .
BACKGROUND Frailty is a geriatric syndrome characterized by the clinical presentation of identifiable physical alterations and decreased physiological reserve .
The assessment of frailty syndrome has been recently related with post-surgical outcomes and overall mortality in older individuals .
Prognostic significance of potential frailty criteria.
OBJECTIVES To determine the independent prognostic effect of seven potential frailty criteria , including five from the Fried phenotype , on several adverse outcomes . DESIGN Prospect i ve cohort study . SETTING Greater New Haven , Connecticut . PARTICIPANTS Seven hundred fifty-four initially nondisabled , community-living persons aged 70 and older . MEASUREMENTS An assessment of seven potential frailty criteria ( slow gait speed , low physical activity , weight loss , exhaustion , weakness , cognitive impairment , and depressive symptoms ) was completed at baseline and every 18 months for 72 months . Participants were followed with monthly telephone interviews for up to 96 months to determine the occurrence of chronic disability , long-term nursing home ( NH ) stays , injurious falls , and death . RESULTS In analyses adjusted for age , sex , race , education , number of chronic conditions , and the presence of the other potential frailty criteria , three of the five Fried criteria ( slow gait speed , low physical activity , and weight loss ) were independently associated with chronic disability , long-term NH stays , and death . Slow gait speed was the strongest predictor of chronic disability ( hazard ratio (HR)=2.97 , 95 % confidence interval (CI)=2.32 - 3.80 ) and long-term NH stay ( HR=3.86 , 95 % CI=2.23 - 6.67 ) and was the only significant predictor of injurious falls ( HR=2.19 , 95 % CI=1.33 - 3.60 ) . Cognitive impairment was also associated with chronic disability ( HR=1.82 , 95 % CI=1.40 - 2.38 ) , long-term NH stay ( HR=2.64 , 95 % CI=1.75 - 3.99 ) , and death ( HR=1.54 , 95 % CI=1.13 - 2.10 ) , and the magnitude of these associations was comparable with that of weight loss . CONCLUSION The results of this study provide strong evidence to support the use of slow gait speed , low physical activity , weight loss , and cognitive impairment as key indicators of frailty while raising concerns about the value of self-reported exhaustion and muscle weakness
RESULTS Severity of frailty syndrome significantly correlated with post-surgical mortality rates and with many although not all post-surgical complications .
These relationships emerge in different type of surgical procedures and patients ' features .
BACKGROUND Frailty is a geriatric syndrome characterized by the clinical presentation of identifiable physical alterations and decreased physiological reserve .
The assessment of frailty syndrome has been recently related with post-surgical outcomes and overall mortality in older individuals .