SINGAPORE – At 52, Ms Maryanne Chua uses a walking stick whenever her knee acts up, but feels “generally healthy” otherwise.
A recent questionnaire she completed told a different story.
Ms Chua, who has a torn meniscus (cartilage that cushions the knee joint) and knee osteoarthritis, discovered she was pre-frail.
Being pre-frail is a precursor of frailty, which is the loss of physiological reserves marked by symptoms such as unintentional weight loss and slowness in walking. Frailty puts individuals at a higher risk of falls and hospitalisation, and is a state of health more commonly associated with the elderly.
“I’m a little surprised and never thought that at 52, I might fall into the category of pre-frail or frail. I thought it is one of those things you’d associate with much older people, like your parents or grandparents, not when you’re still working and moving around,” said Ms Chua, a manager, who is overweight and has obstructive sleep apnoea.
One of the most pressing issues of a rapidly-ageing population, frailty affects about 6 per cent of seniors above age 65 and one in four elderly above 85, according to local studies.
New research has highlighted the significance of frailty in the middle-aged, particularly those with multiple long-term illnesses.
A British study published in The Lancet Public Health in June found that the condition can occur in both men and women between the ages of 37 and 73, and is more common among those with chronic health conditions.
Diabetes was among the top long-term conditions associated with frailty. Additionally, the researchers, who studied nearly 500,000 people, found that frail individuals across all ages faced a higher risk of death.
More at Symptoms of frailty can start from age 30 and increase risk of death
A recent questionnaire she completed told a different story.
Ms Chua, who has a torn meniscus (cartilage that cushions the knee joint) and knee osteoarthritis, discovered she was pre-frail.
Being pre-frail is a precursor of frailty, which is the loss of physiological reserves marked by symptoms such as unintentional weight loss and slowness in walking. Frailty puts individuals at a higher risk of falls and hospitalisation, and is a state of health more commonly associated with the elderly.
“I’m a little surprised and never thought that at 52, I might fall into the category of pre-frail or frail. I thought it is one of those things you’d associate with much older people, like your parents or grandparents, not when you’re still working and moving around,” said Ms Chua, a manager, who is overweight and has obstructive sleep apnoea.
One of the most pressing issues of a rapidly-ageing population, frailty affects about 6 per cent of seniors above age 65 and one in four elderly above 85, according to local studies.
New research has highlighted the significance of frailty in the middle-aged, particularly those with multiple long-term illnesses.
A British study published in The Lancet Public Health in June found that the condition can occur in both men and women between the ages of 37 and 73, and is more common among those with chronic health conditions.
Diabetes was among the top long-term conditions associated with frailty. Additionally, the researchers, who studied nearly 500,000 people, found that frail individuals across all ages faced a higher risk of death.
More at Symptoms of frailty can start from age 30 and increase risk of death
