Impact of physical rehabilitation interventions on frailty syndrome in the elderly

Abstract

Frailty Syndrome (FS) is a geriatric condition characterized by a generalized functional decline, which increases the vulnerability of the elderly to adverse health events such as falls, hospitalizations and mortality. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of physical rehabilitation interventions, highlighting their importance in promoting healthy aging and reducing the risks associated with frailty. The study was carried out through a search of the Medline/PubMed, Virtual Health Library (VHL) and Cochrane Library databases. The research question and strategy used were based on the PICO model. Clinical trial studies, meta-analysis, randomized controlled trials, articles, books and documents published in English, Spanish and Portuguese in the last 5 years were included. A total of 417 articles were initially found. After analysis and elimination of duplicates, 78 references were analyzed by title and abstract, of which 53 were included for full reading. After this stage, 45 references were excluded. In the end, 8 studies were considered eligible. The available evidence shows that physical rehabilitation interventions play an essential role in reducing the impacts of FS, promoting improvements in the functionality, autonomy and quality of life of the elderly.