Phan Huy M, Alpert Joseph S, Fain Mindy
Department of Medicine, Section of Geriatrics and Gerontology and Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA.
Am J Geriatr Cardiol. 2008 Mar-Apr;17(2):101-7.
Frailty is a progressive physiologic decline in multiple body systems marked by loss of function, loss of physiologic reserve, and increased vulnerability to disease and death. Until recently, frailty has been poorly defined in the medical literature. One currently accepted definition of frailty is having 3 of the following 5 attributes: unintentional weight loss, muscle weakness, slow walking speed, easy exhaustion, and low physical activity. The mechanisms that underline frailty remain unclear. Significantly higher levels of markers of inflammation and the clotting cascade have been found in frail persons compared with nonfrail persons. These markers are also risk factors for the development of coronary heart disease. Recent research has indicated that frailty is a clinical manifestation of cardiovascular disease, especially of heart failure. Thus, understanding the connection between frailty and cardiovascular disease may lead to development of new interventions that will prevent and reverse the associated morbidity and mortality.
衰弱是多个身体系统中渐进性的生理衰退，其特征为功能丧失、生理储备丧失以及对疾病和死亡的易感性增加。直到最近，衰弱在医学文献中的定义仍不明确。目前一个被广泛接受的衰弱定义是具备以下5个属性中的3个：非故意体重减轻、肌肉无力、行走速度缓慢、容易疲劳以及身体活动量低。导致衰弱的机制尚不清楚。与非衰弱者相比，衰弱者体内炎症和凝血级联反应标志物的水平显著更高。这些标志物也是冠心病发生的危险因素。最近的研究表明，衰弱是心血管疾病尤其是心力衰竭的一种临床表现。因此，了解衰弱与心血管疾病之间的联系可能会促使开发出新的干预措施，以预防和扭转相关的发病率和死亡率。
