There are inevitable physiologic changes associated with advancing age, yet for some
people these changes are exaggerated, and as a result a phenotype emerges recognized
as “frailty.” Why some people become frail and others do not remains incompletely
understood. Although chronic illnesses are common among frail elderly persons, some will
develop all of the phenotypic features without a diagnosed underlying disease. It has been
recognized that certain proinflammatory cytokines and coagulation factors are elevated to a …