Xiaoming Liu,1 Xiaoni Yang2 

1Department of Geriatric Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, 250014, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, Jinan, 250014, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Xiaoni Yang, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, No. 16766 Jingshi Road, Jinan, 250014, People’s Republic of China, Email yangxiaoni1979@163.com

Abstract: Global aging is rapidly accelerating, which significantly influences the health systems worldwide. Frailty emerges as the most conspicuous hallmark of aging, imposing novel global health challenges. Characterized by a multifaceted decline across physiological system, frailty diminishes an individual’s capacity to maintain equilibrium in the presence of stressors, which leads to adverse outcomes such as falls, delirium, and disability. Several screening tools and interventions have been developed to mitigate the harm caused by frailty to human health, but research on frailty in mainland China commences belatedly with scant studies conducted. Therefore, it is imperative to explore screening methods and treatment modalities tailored to the Chinese context, thereby enhancing the older adults’ quality of life and advancing social medicine. This review aims to elucidate the evolution, diagnosis, and management of frailty, alongside the challenges it poses, with the overarching goal of guiding future diagnostic and therapeutic endeavors. Specifically, we summarized the mechanisms of frailty and intervention strategies in elderly people, and meanwhile, we evaluated the advantages and disadvantages of different measurement tools.

Keywords: frailty, geriatrics, pathogenesis, assessment, intervention