Overview
- Newcastle University analyzed data on more than 2,000 men aged 65 and over, assessed eight years apart, with 715 participants drawn from the British Regional Heart Study.
- Higher social activity at the first assessment was associated with a 31% lower risk of developing frailty, and increases in activity over time were tied to a further 23% lower risk.
- Greater engagement was linked to recovery from early frailty, while higher or rising loneliness predicted increased risk of becoming frail.
- Authors suggested potential pathways such as better social support, improved access to healthcare, healthier behaviors, and more stable sleep and nutrition.
- The peer‑reviewed study appeared in the American Journal of Epidemiology, was part‑funded by the British Heart Foundation, and aligns with NHS interest in social prescribing; frailty affects about 1 in 10 people over 65 and roughly a quarter of those 85 and older.