Sarcopenia and Frailty
Sarcopenia is muscle failure characterised by low strength, while frailty is reduced reserve across several systems that makes a person vulnerable to disproportionate decline after a minor stressor; they commonly coexist but require different assessments.
Definition
Sarcopenia is a muscle disease characterised by low muscle strength, with low muscle quantity or quality confirming the diagnosis and poor physical performance indicating severe disease. Frailty is a distinctive health state of reduced physiological reserve across multiple systems, in which a minor stressor can cause disproportionate decline in health and function. They often coexist but are not interchangeable terms.
First principles
Frailty is reduced reserve, not simply old age
Frailty is a distinctive health state in which accumulated loss of reserve across several systems makes a person vulnerable to a disproportionate fall in function after infection, a medication change, a fall or hospital admission. It is not a diagnosis to apply after excluding every other illness, and it should not be used to deny treatment. The practical response is a coordinated, goal-led assessment of medical, functional, psychological, social and environmental needs.
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