Is nutrition important to postpone frailty?

Abstract

Purpose of review: The purpose of the present study is to provide an updated, systematic review of the recent literature on whether nutrition is important to postpone frailty. Recent findings: A systematic review of recent literature (past 12 months) identified nine studies (eight of which using a cross-sectional design) exploring the relationship between nutrition and frailty. A single randomized-controlled double-blind trial was published. However, being a pilot study, it was characterized by a relatively small sample size, short follow-up length (i.e., 6 months), and low statistical power. Notably, available evidence shows considerable variability in participants’ selection and assessment methods, rendering difficult direct comparisons. Size effects or magnitude of associations across the different studies cannot also be determined. Summary: There is a need for long-term, adequately powered, randomized controlled trials examining nutrition (alone or/and in combination with other appropriate interventions) as a means for postponing frailty in older persons.