Avoid Frailty in Aging (Research Suggests How to Do It!)

It’s very important to avoid frailty in aging.

            Overview

I.   Frailty

II.  The Study

III. Resources

I. Frailty

Why is it so important to avoid frailty in aging? It’s because frailty is linked to poor health, disability, and death. Of course, being healthy helps ward off frailty. But specifically, what can we do to reduce our chance of frailty in ageing?

Most research has studied those who are already of advanced age. Also, it doesn’t look at them over long periods of time. That doesn’t help those in their 40s and 50s to know what to do. Nor what to avoid doing.

II. Study: How to Avoid Frailty in Aging

Therefore, researchers wanted to find out what those in midlife could do to reduce their chance of frailty. To do that, they studied 6,357 people in the British Whitehall II cohort.

Researchers followed those people for an average of 20.4 years. During that time, 445 developed frailty. Researchers classified people as frail if they had three or more of the following.avoid frailty in ageing

    • Slow walking speed. 
    • Low grip strength. 
    • Exhaustion.
    • Low physical activity.
    • Weight loss.

The researchers periodically measured these healthful actions

    • Not smoking. 
    • Drinking alcohol in moderation. 
    • 2.5 hours or more per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity.
    • Eating fruits or vegetables at least twice a day.

The researchers found that each healthful behavior at age 50 was linked with lower risk of becoming frail.

avoid frailty in ageingRemember that the health benefits of drinking moderately apply to wine, beer, and spirits (liquor).

III. Resources: Avoid Frailty in Aging

Web avoid frailty in ageing

Readings

Notes

    • This site gives no advice on how to avoid frailty in aging. Please see your doctor with any questions.