Many types of chronic disease will result in the reduction of generalized physical function. This reduction in function is very apparent in patients with lung disease such as COPD. The term frailty has been used to describe the most severe form of this dysfunction.
Frailty is hard to define and hard to distinguish from the effects of illness in general, injury and medical interventions but frailty has a profound effect on the outcome for patients in the hospital and at home including increased mortality risks. Assessing frailty can sometime be difficult. One model looks for a recent weight loss of greater than 10 lbs., low grip strength, exhaustion and low physical activity. It has been said that “the more individuals have wrong the more likely they are to be frail.”
Frail patients have more than 2 times the risk of inhospital death and more that 2.5 time the risk of early mortality. The frail are also less likely to be discharged home. The treatment for frailty begins with guarding against conditions that may lead to its consequences. For lung patients, discontinuing their smoking habit to prevent progression of disease, protecting themselves against infections including the use of protective vaccines and maintaining a healthy diet with adequate protein intake. Lastly, some form of regular activity to maintain muscle strength, especially in the legs.
Like most chronic disease consequences, early attention to your general health and preventing the development of a disease is key. Follow the advice of your doctor
