Frailty is more than just slowing down a little with age. It’s a syndrome recognized by medical professionals as a major risk factor for a sudden worsening in health—people who score high on measures of frailty are more likely to develop complications after routine surgeries and to decline swiftly after infections or falls. Signs of frailty include a slow walking speed and taking a while to perform what’s called a “timed up-and-go test,” where someone gets up from a chair, walks a few paces, then heads back to sit down. (If this takes more than about 13 seconds, that’s a possible marker of frailty).
Researchers believe...
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