Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Aug 17, 2025 6 months, 1 week, 1 day, 3 hours, 34 minutes ago
Thailand Medical News: Understanding the Problem
A new study by researchers from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Miami Veterans Administration (VA) Healthcare System, including its Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), reveals that Long COVID may trigger frailty in patients much earlier than expected. Traditionally, frailty is seen in older adults, but this
Thailand Medical News report shows that even middle-aged individuals with Long COVID are now experiencing frailty symptoms similar to elderly patients with multiple chronic illnesses.
Long COVID Linked to Sudden Onset of Frailty in Younger Veterans
Frailty is a condition that makes the body more vulnerable to health problems and stress, often leading to difficulty in daily activities, higher hospitalization rates, and increased mortality risk. For many younger veterans who were relatively healthy before infection, developing frailty after COVID-19 is an alarming discovery.
What the Study Found
The study followed 106 patients from a Long COVID clinic and compared them with 97 patients from a geriatric frailty clinic. On average, Long COVID patients were much younger (around 60 years) compared to those in the frailty clinic (around 77 years).
When doctors measured frailty using the Veterans Affairs Frailty Index (VA-FI), they found a dramatic rise in frailty cases among Long COVID patients. Before the pandemic, only about 34% of these patients showed signs of frailty, but after developing Long COVID, the number nearly doubled to 66%. Even more concerning, the number of robust, healthy individuals in this group dropped from almost 39% to less than 10%.
Another striking difference was in the type of symptoms driving frailty. Patients in the Long COVID group reported overwhelming exhaustion (96%) and low physical activity (79%), while those in the elderly frailty group struggled more with weakness (97%) and slow walking speeds (90%). This suggests Long COVID brings a unique pattern of frailty where energy levels and stamina are hit the hardest.
Why It Matters
The findings suggest that Long COVID does more than cause lingering fatigue or brain fog. It appears to push patients into a state of physical decline usually seen in much older people. This unexpected shift means that many individuals may face years of health struggles, reduced independence, and poorer quality of life.
Doctors believe these results highlight the urgent need for specialized treatment strategies to address exhaustion and inactivity in Long COVID patients. The fact that frailty rates nearly doubled in a younger, healthier population shows how devastating the long-term effects of the virus can be.
Final Takeaway
This research sends a clear warning: Long COVID can lead to premature frailty, particularly marked by extreme tiredness and reduced activity. For veterans and other patients who once lived active lives, this decline can be both physically and emotionally challenging. More studies are needed to
develop interventions that can restore strength, improve energy, and prevent Long COVID patients from slipping into long-term disability. Without action, the burden of frailty in younger populations could overwhelm healthcare systems in the coming years.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: COVID
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8112/5/8/136
For the latest on Long COVID, keep on logging to
Thailand Medical News.
Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/covid-19-causes-long-term-hormonal-disruptions-that-contributes-to-accelerated-aging
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/study-finds-that-the-anti-aging-protein-klotho-plays-a-role-in-covid-19
https://www.thailandmedical.news/news/study-finds-that-long-covid-linked-to-accelerated-aging-and-epigenetic-changes
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