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Rehabilitation Approaches to Reduce Frailty and Promote Healthy Aging

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 57

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Medicine and Physiotherapy, Postgraduate Program in Health and Behavior, Catholic University of Pelotas (UCPEL), Pelotas 96015-560, Brazil
Interests: intensive care units; critical illness; frailty and elderly patients
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Frailty Syndrome is a clinical condition of genetic and neuroendocrine origin, causing greater vulnerability to diseases or acute stress in the elderly, and is characterized by reduced muscle mass and strength and low energy when carrying out daily activities.

The phenotype of this syndrome described by Fried is considered the gold standard for diagnosis and has five components: unintentional weight loss (greater than or equal to 4.5 kg in the last year), a feeling of exhaustion, physical inactivity, a low walking speed, and decreased grip strength. Individuals displaying one or two positive features are characterized as pre-frail, and those displaying more than two are considered frail. The most common symptoms are involuntary weight loss, weakness, a reduced walking speed, and exhaustion.

It is important to note that no specific rehabilitation approach has yet been determined to treat Frailty Syndrome as a whole; however, physical exercise remains one of the best options to increase muscle mass.

Recent studies have shown that with an appropriate physical rehabilitation program, it is possible to prevent or even reverse frailty. There is a consensus that physical activity is the best treatment for frailty in older adults, but none on the ideal type of exercise. Recent reviews indicate that multicomponent modalities are the most often recommended, with the most frequently cited practices being resistance exercises and balance training. Such initiatives aim to promote healthy aging and have increased the life expectancy in this population.

It is important to highlight the impact of frailty on this population’s quality of life, as well as their participation in the workplace. This fragility not only translates into greater difficulty in dealing with certain occupational risks but also a greater likelihood of suffering violence and aggression or being excluded from the labor market. Furthermore, loneliness in older people is often related to their frailty. All these phenomena have a major impact on public health, and addressing them requires not only treatment but also health promotion initiatives.

Therefore, this Special Issue will compile studies that report on treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention strategies for managing Frailty Syndrome.

Dr. Luiz Alberto Forgiarini-Júnior
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • frailty syndrome
  • rehabilitation
  • aging
  • health promotion
  • physiotherapy

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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