Question

Frailty in the elderly is most directly characterised/affected by which of the following?

• A. Age
• B. Sarcopenia
• C. Male gender
• D. Gait alone

Hint:

What muscle change underlies weakness, slow gait and low activity?

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Define frailty.
Frailty is a state of reduced physiological reserve and increased vulnerability to stressors. The Fried phenotype defines it by five criteria: unintentional weight loss, exhaustion, weakness (low grip strength), slow walking speed and low physical activity.

Step 2: Pick the core pathophysiology.
Sarcopenia (age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength) is the central biological driver of frailty; weakness, slow gait and low activity all stem from it. This makes sarcopenia the most direct determinant.

Step 3: Why not the others.
Age is a risk factor but frailty is distinct from chronological age (young-old people can be robust; some can be frail earlier). Frailty is actually more prevalent in women, so male gender is not the answer. Gait speed is only one of several criteria, not the underlying cause.

Key fact: Sarcopenia is the biological core of frailty.