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Department of Medicine

Frailty and Adverse Outcomes

Frailty is a highly prevalent clinical syndrome in older adults. While definitions vary, frailty is typically used to describe someone who meets three or more of the following: unintentional weight loss, low grip strength, low energy, slow walking speed, and low physical activity. Given that frailty increases the risk of adverse patient outcomes including hospitalizations, long-term care placement, mortality, and decreased quality of life, further investigation is needed to elucidate the connection of frailty to other conditions commonly present in older adults.

Our group is evaluating the associations of frailty with important clinical and biological outcomes. The goal is to gain a mechanistic understanding of why someone develops frailty across the lifecycle.

Key Papers

  1. Aziz JJ, Reid KF, Batsis JA, Fielding RA. URBAN-RURAL DIFFERENCES IN THE PREVALENCE OF MUSCLE WEAKNESS AND SLOW GAIT SPEED: A CROSS-SECTIONAL ANALYSIS FROM THE NHANES (2001-2002 AND 2011-2014). JAR Life. 2021;10:19-25. doi: 10.14283/jarlife.2021.4. Epub 2021 Apr 7. PMID: 35783581; PMCID: PMC9248630.

  2. Crow RS, Petersen CL, Cook SB, Stevens CJ, Titus AJ, Mackenzie TA, Batsis JA. Reported Weight Change in Older Adults and Presence of Frailty. J Frailty Aging. 2020;9(2):74-81. doi: 10.14283/jfa.2019.44. PMID: 32259180; PMCID: PMC7202674.

  3. Crow RS, Lohman MC, Titus AJ, Cook SB, Bruce ML, Mackenzie TA, Bartels SJ, Batsis JA. Association of Obesity and Frailty in Older Adults: NHANES 1999-2004. J Nutr Health Aging. 2019;23(2):138-144. doi: 10.1007/s12603-018-1138-x. PMID: 30697622; PMCID: PMC6371801.

  4. Crow RS, Lohman MC, Pidgeon D, Bruce ML, Bartels SJ, Batsis JA. Frailty Versus Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries Initiative Fall Risk Score: Ability to Predict Future Falls. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018
    Mar;66(3):577-583. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15275. Epub 2018 Feb 10. PMID: 29427525; PMCID: PMC5933526.

  5. Crow RS, Lohman MC, Titus AJ, Bruce ML, Mackenzie TA, Bartels SJ, Batsis JA. Mortality Risk Along the Frailty Spectrum: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2004. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018 Mar;66(3):496-502. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15220. Epub 2018 Jan 25. PMID: 29368330; PMCID: PMC5849536.