Frailty defined by deficit accumulation and geriatric medicine defined by frailty
K Rockwood, A Mitnitski - Clinics in geriatric medicine, 2011 - geriatric.theclinics.com
As cells age, they develop deficits as a result of the accumulation of unrepaired cellular and
molecular damage. This fact is well accepted; for example, Kirkwood 1 reviewed several
maintenance and repair mechanisms involved in this process of accumulation (eg, somatic
mutation theory, mitochondrial theory, altered proteins theory, network theories of aging).
These theories point to the complexity of the networks and the stochastic nature of the many
pathways that lead to damage. The theories also make clear that various repair mechanisms …
molecular damage. This fact is well accepted; for example, Kirkwood 1 reviewed several
maintenance and repair mechanisms involved in this process of accumulation (eg, somatic
mutation theory, mitochondrial theory, altered proteins theory, network theories of aging).
These theories point to the complexity of the networks and the stochastic nature of the many
pathways that lead to damage. The theories also make clear that various repair mechanisms …