What is frailty in the elderly?

The term frailty means a typical condition of the geriatric age due to which the individual tends to respond less and less effectively to the stimuli of the surrounding environment. The frail elderly are not yet ill, but they are more vulnerable – than an the elderly not afflicted by this condition – to diseases that can affect different organs.

The Frailbiotrack project

The Frailbiotrack research project answers the questions:

• What biological differences are there between frail elderly and healthy elderly?

• Can we identify the mechanisms that cause the frailty of those who age?

The researchers will have the opportunity to rely on a group of 700 elderly people, previously included in an observational study launched in 2009 (InveCe.Ab, brain aging in Abbiategrasso). The project involves 17 researchers from the three project partners. Leading the research is the Mondino National Neurological Institute Foundation IRCCS of Pavia. Project partners are the Golgi Cenci Foundation of Abbiategrasso, which will subject the group of elderly people to blood sampling and the necessary social, medical and neuropsychological assessments, and the Mario Negri IRCCS Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan.
The project also has the objective of promoting widespread awareness around the concept and themes of fragility, through information and dissemination initiatives aimed at creating a culture of prevention.

For information and insights, the site www.frailtuning.net is online