Abstract
Frailty syndrome is a medical condition that is characterised by a functional decline, usually from 65 years old on, and creates the need for assistance to perform daily living activities. As the population ages, the need for specialised geriatric care will increase immensely, and consequently, the need for specialised services for the care of these people will increase accordingly. From a nutritional point of view, to control or balance the nutritional status of residents will be essential in order to prevent sarcopenia and, consequently, frailty development. In this line, previous studies have highlighted the association among low energy intake, inadequate intake of protein and vitamin D, and an increased risk of frailty development. However, there is a lack of intervention studies on frail patients, especially in the realm of quality clinical trials. The few studies performed to date seem to indicate that there is a protective role of protein supplementation against frailty syndrome. In this regard, it is tempting to suggest daily 30 g protein supplements to prevent frailty. However, it is well established that excess protein can also be harmful; therefore, specific individual characteristics should be considered before prescribing these supplements. On the other hand, the relevance of other nutritional interventions, such as vitamin D, omega-3, and medium-chain triglycerides, is much more scarce in the literature. Therefore, we encourage the development of new clinical trials to carry out effective therapies to prevent frailty development.
Highlights
LARES chair for social and health care of elderly people, LARES Nursing Home Association, 30500 Murcia, Spain
Society and health systems are facing health problems related to having food all the time, which causes issues such as obesity [1], little attention is being given to the health food concern: Frailty syndrome, a medical condition characterised by a functional decline, usually from 65 years old, and that requires the need for assistance to perform the activities of daily living [2]
While we await the results of these clinical trials, at the moment, there is very little evidence regarding the effect of protein supplementation on frailty, the few studies seem to indicate a protective role of protein supplementation against frailty syndrome
Summary
Society and health systems are facing health problems related to having food all the time, which causes issues such as obesity [1], little attention is being given to the health food concern: Frailty syndrome, a medical condition characterised by a functional decline, usually from 65 years old, and that requires the need for assistance to perform the activities of daily living [2]. One problem with frailty syndrome is how to differentiate normal from fragile ageing, that is, how to diagnose frailty In this context, a key definition was provided by Linda Fried in 2001; a person suffers from frailty syndrome if three or more of the five following criteria are present: Weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slowness, and inactivity [3]. A key definition was provided by Linda Fried in 2001; a person suffers from frailty syndrome if three or more of the five following criteria are present: Weight loss, exhaustion, weakness, slowness, and inactivity [3] Another problem with frailty syndrome derives from the term itself. Several authors refer to this syndrome as muscle mass, is a main factor involved in developing frailty [12].
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