Research links frailty to dementia risk

SYDNEY, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) — An Australian-led international research has found that frailty increases a person’s risk of developing dementia.
The study, which was published on Tuesday by the University of Queensland, analyzed data collected between 1997 and 2024 from 29,849 people aged 60 and over in the United States and Britain. Of those, 3,154 developed dementia.
It found a link between frailty and dementia that researchers believe could boost prevention of neurodegenerative conditions.
Frailty is a health state related to aging where organ systems lose their resilience, making a person more likely to experience falls, disability and hospitalization.
David Ward, lead author of the study from the university’s Center for Health Services Research, said that, among the 3,154 analyzed people who developed dementia, frailty increased and accelerated nine years prior to a dementia diagnosis.
“This suggests frailty is not merely a consequence of undetected dementia but contributes to its onset,” he said.
“By understanding the connection between aging, frailty and dementia we can use targeted intervention strategies to reduce risk and improve quality of life,” he said.
He said that the study supports integrating frailty screening into routine health check-ups.
According to the World Health Organization, dementia, a term for several diseases that affect memory, thinking and behavior, affects over 55 million people globally. ■