CIHR's Institute of Aging

Getting Better at Detecting Danger

Being frail holds major risks

Finding
Getting older isn't always pretty, but the problems are more than cosmetic. Frail seniors face a higher risk of acute and chronic diseases, disability and death - as many as 20% of Canadian seniors are considered frail. Until recently, there has been no reliable way to measure frailty, a problem that delays efforts to prevent frail seniors from suffering disease and disability. Canadian researchers have developed a new and accurate frailty measurement tool.

Impact
The new scale will help doctors quickly and accurately measure the frailty of patients so that they can better manage the condition and reduce the risk of other serious ailments.

Team
Dr. Kenneth Rockwood of Dalhousie University was the principal investigator on the project.

Funding Partners
CIHR, Health Canada, Queen Elizabeth II Research Foundation, Pfizer Canada