Fried Frailty Criteria
he Fried Frailty Criteria (also called the Cardiovascular Health Study [CHS] Frailty Phenotype) is one of the most widely used definitions of frailty in clinical medicine. It was proposed by Linda Fried et al. in 2001.
It defines frailty as a biological syndrome of decreased reserve and resistance to stressors, due to cumulative declines across multiple physiological systems.
Fried’s 5 Criteria for Frailty
A patient is considered frail if ≥3 criteria are present, pre-frail if 1–2 criteria, and robust if none.
| Criterion | Definition |
|---|---|
| 1. Unintentional Weight Loss | Loss of >4.5 kg (10 lbs) or >5% of body weight in the last year. |
| 2. Exhaustion | Self-reported feeling of exhaustion (from CES-D depression scale questions such as “I felt everything I did was an effort” or “I could not get going” ≥3 days/week). |
| 3. Weakness | Grip strength below a certain threshold adjusted for sex and BMI (lowest 20%). |
| 4. Slow Walking Speed | Gait speed in the lowest 20% (time to walk 15 feet adjusted for sex and height). |
| 5. Low Physical Activity | Lowest 20% of energy expenditure (measured by self-reported physical activity questionnaires, e.g., kcal/week). |
Interpretation
- Frail: ≥3 criteria present
- Pre-frail: 1–2 criteria present
- Robust (non-frail): 0 criteria
✅ Clinical Use:
- Widely applied in geriatrics and cardiology (predicts morbidity, hospitalization, disability, and mortality).
- Used in evaluating elderly surgical and cardiac patients, including those undergoing TAVR, CABG, or PCI.
| Point | Summary |
|---|---|
| 1 | Proposed by Linda Fried et al., 2001 (Cardiovascular Health Study). |
| 2 | Defines frailty as a clinical syndrome of decreased physiologic reserve. |
| 3 | Based on 5 measurable physical criteria. |
| 4 | Criterion 1 – Weight Loss: >4.5 kg (10 lbs) or >5% of body weight in last year. |
| 5 | Criterion 2 – Exhaustion: Self-reported, from CES-D scale questions. |
| 6 | Criterion 3 – Weakness: Low grip strength, adjusted for sex and BMI. |
| 7 | Criterion 4 – Slowness: Low gait speed, adjusted for sex and height. |
| 8 | Criterion 5 – Low Activity: Low energy expenditure (lowest 20%). |
| 9 | Frailty is present when ≥3 criteria are met. |
| 10 | Pre-frail: 1–2 criteria. |
| 11 | Robust (non-frail): 0 criteria. |
| 12 | Commonly assessed in geriatrics, cardiology, oncology, surgery. |
| 13 | Predicts risk of hospitalization, disability, institutionalization. |
| 14 | Also predicts mortality, especially after cardiac procedures. |
| 15 | Grip strength cut-offs differ by sex and BMI. |
| 16 | Gait speed cut-offs differ by sex and height. |
| 17 | Weight loss criterion captures catabolic state and malnutrition. |
| 18 | Exhaustion reflects energy deficit and possible depression link. |
| 19 | Low activity measured in kcal/week or standardized activity scales. |
| 20 | Forms the basis of the frailty phenotype model, distinct from cumulative deficit models (e.g., Frailty Index). |
Fried Frailty Criteria – Quick 10 MCQ Quiz
Frailty phenotype (Fried et al., 2001). Tap/click an option to check. Correct answer will always be highlighted.
1) Who proposed the frailty phenotype widely known as the Fried criteria?
Explanation
Linda P. Fried and colleagues described the frailty phenotype in the Cardiovascular Health Study (2001).
2) How many criteria comprise the Fried frailty phenotype?
Explanation
The phenotype includes five items: weight loss, exhaustion, weakness (grip strength), slowness (gait speed), and low physical activity.
3) Unintentional weight loss is defined as which of the following?
Explanation
Fried’s criterion uses >4.5 kg (10 lb) or >5% over 12 months to capture clinically meaningful involuntary loss.
4) Exhaustion in the Fried criteria is assessed from which instrument?
Explanation
Exhaustion is based on two CES-D questions (e.g., “I felt everything I did was an effort,” “I could not get going”) reported ≥3 days/week.
5) Weakness in the Fried phenotype is operationalized by:
Explanation
Handgrip dynamometry is used; cutoffs vary by sex and BMI with the lowest 20% considered weak.
6) Slowness is typically measured as:
Explanation
Gait speed over a short course (≈4.6 m/15 ft) is used; thresholds depend on sex and height.
7) Low physical activity in Fried’s phenotype is defined as:
Explanation
Self-reported activity questionnaires are converted to kcal/week; the sex-specific lowest quintile is classified as low activity.
8) A patient is considered frail when how many criteria are present?
Explanation
Frail: ≥3 criteria; Pre-frail: 1–2; Robust: 0.
9) Which of the following is NOT part of the Fried criteria?
Explanation
Cognition is not in the Fried phenotype (it’s physical-performance focused). Cognitive screens appear in other geriatric assessments.
10) Pre-frail status is defined as:
Explanation
Pre-frail indicates intermediate risk: one or two positive criteria.
