Jakarta, IO – The number of the aged population in Indonesia continues to increase. By 2035, the total is estimated to be 48.2 million people. Nevertheless, various health issues occur at a later age, and increase the risk of frailty. “Frailty” is a multidimensional geriatric syndrome, caused by the decreased capacity of the body’s homeostatic physiological system reserve and functions. This causes the body to become more vulnerable towards stressors, which in turn lowers their individual physical capacity.
Geriatric internal disease specialist consultant, dr. Noto “Tutie” Dwimartutie, Sp.PD-KGer, reported in his open Doctorate Thesis Defense at the University of Indonesia Faculty of Medicine Doctorate Program, held on Tuesday (10/01/2023), how a frailty syndrome badly increases outer health risk, including the danger of falling, functional status disability, hospitalization and even mortality. This syndrome is a dynamic process that allows for interventions to correct and prevent a worsening of the condition. Advanced age frailty is marked by lowered body weight, debility, constant exhaustion, slower walking speed, strength of hand grip, and lowered physical activity.
“Frailty status categories are “ft/ robust”, “pre-frail”, and “frail”. Fit elders may transition into pre-frail and frail elders, and vice versa. Most elders in Indonesia are in pre-frail condition, and we need to both prevent them from degenerating into frailty and return them to fitness, in line with the dynamics of the frailty syndrome,” dr. Tutie said.
Her thesis, titled “The Influence of Cholecalciferol to Frailty Syndrome among Pre-Frail Elders: A Study of the Strength of Hand Grip, Walking Speed, Vitamin D Receptors, Interleukin-6, and Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Monocyte” earned a final grade of 3.95 – nearly perfect.
Maintain Protein Sufficiency
The frailty syndrome is caused by multiple factors, including the aging process, inflammation, comorbidity, a sedentary lifestyle and malnutrition, including a deficiency of micronutrients such as Vitamin D. The Study discovered a strong correlation between low Vitamin D levels and the risk of frailty, specifically in terms of inflammation. This is no surprise, as Vitamin D deficiency is frequently found among elders. Therefore, dr. Tutie recommends the ingestion of cholecalciferol, a type of Vitamin D3, to achieve sufficiency in Vitamin D levels: