Open AccessMetabolic and nutritional approach to older frail people
Author(s) -
Stefano Volpato,
Giovanni Zuliani
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geriatric care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2465-1397
pISSN - 2465-1109
DOI - 10.4081/gc.2017.7056
Subject(s) - medicine , metabolic syndrome , epidemiology , psychological intervention , insulin resistance , intensive care medicine , endocrine system , intervention (counseling) , vulnerability (computing) , diabetes mellitus , gerontology , endocrinology , psychiatry , hormone , computer security , computer science
Frailty is a common clinical syndrome in older adults that carries an increased risk for poor health outcomes including falls, incident disability, hospitalization, and mortality. It is characterized by multisystem dysregulations, leading to a loss of dynamic homeostasis, decreased physiologic reserve, and increased vulnerability to stressors. A large body of literature suggests several important multisystem pathophysiologic processes in the pathogenesis of the frailty syndrome, including chronic inflammation and immune activation, insulin resistance and those in musculoskeletal and endocrine systems. Currently, no effective pharmaceutical interventions have been developed for the prevention and treatment of the frailty syndrome. Conversely, epidemiological and intervention studies suggest that adequate nutrition and physical exercise might prevent or postpone the onset of frailty and related clinical manifestations