Volume 11, Issue 3, September 2026

Objectives:

Frailty and intrinsic capacity (IC), central constructs in the WHO healthy ageing framework, reflect vulnerability and resilience, respectively. Although both are linked to adverse outcomes, population-level evidence from India examining their relationship remains limited. This study explored the association between IC and frailty among older Indian adults.

Methods:

Data from 26,943 community-dwelling adults aged ≥60 years from the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI Wave 1) were analysed. Frailty was assessed using Fried’s phenotype. IC was measured across cognition, locomotion, sensory, vitality, and mood domains, generating a composite score (0–10). Associations between IC and frailty status were examined using chi-square tests and multinomial logistic regression adjusted for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities.

Results:

Median age was 67 (63–72) years, and 48.4% were male. Frail individuals had lower median IC scores [6 (5–7)] than pre-frail and robust participants [7 (6–8); p<0.001]. Higher IC scores were inversely associated with pre-frailty (RRR: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.75-0.84) and frailty (RRR:0.67, 95% CI:- 0.64-0.71). Poor cognition, locomotion, vitality, and mood were significantly associated with frailty, whereas sensory impairment was not.

Conclusion:

Lower IC is strongly associated with frailty among older Indian adults, supporting IC-based geriatric assessment for early identification of frailty progression.

Objectives:

This study presents the descriptive epidemiology of probable sarcopenia in a community setting in Eastern Africa.

Methods:

This is a cross-sectional observational study. Five random villages in Hai District, Kilimanjaro region, Tanzania, were selected. A total of 1207 community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and over were screened using a short frailty screening tool (B-FIT). A randomised frailty-weighted sample of 234 were included in analysis. Survey data and physical measurements including hand grip strength (HGS), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and bio-impedance analysis (BIA) were conducted. The prevalence of probable sarcopenia in the screened population was calculated using the revised European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP2) guidelines. Logistic regression was used to explore associations between indicators of nutritional status and socioeconomic position, and probable sarcopenia.

Results:

The mean HGS in men was 28.5 kg (SD 10.4) and in women was 20.5 kg (SD 6.4). Estimated prevalence of probable sarcopenia in the community-dwelling population aged ≥60 years was 31.5% (95% CI 19.65-43.35) in men, and 9.79% (95% CI 5.95-13.63) in women.

Conclusions:

Probable sarcopenia was prevalent in a study of community-dwelling older Tanzanian adults. It is associated with markers of malnutrition and lower socioeconomic position in this context.

Objectives:

The study aimed to measure the prevalence of sarcopenia in male individuals with type 2 diabetes having clinically significant liver fibrosis and to identify the determinants of sarcopenia.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study was conducted among male individuals aged 18–65 years with type 2 diabetes and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) ≥8 kPa, as measured by transient elastography (FibroScan^®). Individuals were divided into sarcopenic and nonsarcopenic groups using the 2019 Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria.

Results:

Among 131 males with significant liver fibrosis in type 2 diabetes, 43 (32.8%) had sarcopenia. Between the sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic groups, significant differences were observed in body weight (Kg) (62.6 vs 69.7, p < 0.001) the median duration of diabetes (months) (96 vs. 60, p = 0.008), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c, 8.8% vs. 7.9%, p = 0.007), and liver fibrosis (LSM score, 10.3 kPa vs. 9.8 kPa, p = 0.028). The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for liver fibrosis and body weight in the development of sarcopenia were 1.165 (95% CI, 1.051–1.292) and 0.933 (95% CI, 0.894–0.974), respectively.

Conclusion:

Individuals with sarcopenia had a longer duration of diabetes and poorer glycemic control; lower body weight and higher grades of liver fibrosis were independent factors contributing to the same.

Objectives:

To examine the association between previous-year fall history and eyes-open one-leg standing time among employees aged 50-65 years.

Methods:

This worksite-based cross-sectional study invited 115 employees of a Japanese transportation company; 106 enrolled and 100 with complete, valid records were analyzed. Fall history was defined as at least one self-reported fall during daily life in the previous year. Eyes-open one-leg standing was measured twice, with the longer value used and a maximum of 120 seconds. Group comparisons, age- and body mass index-adjusted logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed.

Results:

The sample included 98 men and 2 women; 60 reported a fall. Median standing time was shorter with than without fall history (45.48 versus 76.74 seconds; p=0.018). The adjusted odds ratio per 10-second increase was 0.90 (95% confidence interval, 0.81-0.99; p=0.035). The area under the curve was 0.64 (95% confidence interval, 0.53-0.74).

Conclusions:

Shorter standing time was associated with previous-year fall history, but discrimination was limited. The test may support worksite fall-risk awareness and further assessment, but should not be used alone for diagnosis or employment decisions.

While much attention has been given to fall risk factors and outcomes among community-dwelling older adults, the specific circumstances of falls have been comparatively underexplored. This systematic review aimed to characterize data collection and reporting practices of fall circumstances. A systematic search of Medline, Embase, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Library from database inception-2026 identified studies reporting on the prevalence of specific fall circumstances. From 9,872 articles screened, 75 studies met the inclusion criteria and underwent data extraction. Circumstances were not consistently reported across studies; among the 11 domains that were evaluated, reporting of each circumstance ranged from 7 to 95% of studies. Concerns for study quality emerged due to failure to clearly define falls, use of long time periods between experiencing and reporting details of a fall, and only reporting circumstances of falls for a subset of falls that were collected without justification. To address issues with heterogeneity in reporting of fall circumstances, we propose a standardized interview and reporting guide based on these findings using the 6 W’s framework: Who?, Where?, What?, When?, Why?, and HoW?. Use of this guide can lead researchers to greater consistency in reporting fall circumstances, ultimately enhancing the quality of future research and better informing fall prevention strategies.

Frailty and multimorbidity are prevalent, interrelated geriatric conditions whose co-occurrence substantially elevates the risk of disability, hospitalisation, and mortality in older adults. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is a multidisciplinary diagnostic process proposed as the gold standard for managing these complex conditions. A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, searching PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles published between 2018 and 2025. Fourteen articles meeting predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were selected and appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) framework and an evidence-grading matrix. Included studies confirmed a bidirectional relationship between frailty and multimorbidity, mediated by chronic low-grade inflammation, immunosenescence, hormonal dysregulation, and sarcopenia. CGA was consistently effective in quantifying frailty severity, guiding individualised care planning, reducing hospital length of stay, and delaying frailty progression. Updated evidence from 2024 and 2025 confirms that CGA significantly reduces mortality risk and preserves independence in activities of daily living across hospital and community settings. The geriatric triangle, the interplay between frailty, multimorbidity, and polypharmacy, represents an important emerging framework for integrated geriatric management. Standardised CGA implementation, supported by validated digital frailty indices and multidisciplinary teams, is recommended to optimise outcomes.

Hip fracture is a major cause of morbidity, mortality, and functional decline among older adults. Frailty has emerged as an important prognostic factor in this population, and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) offers a rapid and practical method for assessing frailty. This systematic review assessed the prognostic value of the 9-point CFS in older adults with hip fracture. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for studies published between 2016 and 2025. Eligible studies included adults aged ≥65 years with hip fracture whose frailty was assessed using the CFS. Outcomes included mortality, postoperative complications, delirium, length of hospital stay, readmissions, discharge destination, institutionalization, and functional recovery. Two reviewers independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Due to heterogeneity in frailty thresholds, outcome definitions, and follow up duration, findings were summarized narratively. Fifteen studies involving more than 18,000 older adults were included. Higher CFS scores were consistently associated with increased short and long term mortality, post-operative complications, delirium, prolonged hospital stay, higher readmission rates, and greater likelihood of institutional discharge. The 9-point Clinical Frailty Scale is a practical prognostic tool in older adults with hip fracture.

Sarcopenia is an age-related skeletal muscle disorder associated with frailty, falls, hospitalisation and mortality. Despite its clinical and public health importance, there is currently no structured sarcopenia screening programme in the United Kingdom, and uptake of preventive health interventions is often lower among ethnic minority populations. This study aims to co-produce a culturally tailored sarcopenia screening programme for community-dwelling older adults in a multi-ethnic UK setting. The study follows the Medical Research Council framework for complex interventions and comprises four phases: a mixed-methods systematic review to explore cultural attitudes toward screening; qualitative focus groups with older adults, stakeholders and healthcare professionals; co-production workshops using the Behaviour Change Wheel to design the intervention; and a small-scale feasibility study. Screening will be conducted using the SARC-Calf tool. Feasibility outcomes include recruitment, retention, completion rates and acceptability, while secondary outcomes include prevalence of probable sarcopenia and referral uptake to an existing community exercise programme. This study will provide evidence on the feasibility and acceptability of a culturally tailored sarcopenia screening programme and inform future large-scale evaluations.