FrailSafe partners met in 12-13 December 2016, in Genova, Italy to examine project status and define next steps.

We are glad that the Horizon magazine, the European Union’s Research and Innovation Magazine, has published the article "Frailty indicators could help prevent problems with ageing", which features our work on the FrailSafe project.

The French partners of FrailSafe are working very hard to raise awareness about the project. One of the occasions was an “Open Doors” event organized by ONPA (Office Nancéien des Personnes Âgées), a local French association for older people, on 30 June and the 1 July 2016. Given the target group of the ONPA, it goes without saying that FrailSafe French partners, represented by a group of investigators from INSERM and the Geriatric Department of Nancy’s University Hospital, are closely working with the association.

Many health specialists often compare frailty to a popular game called Jenga. The aim is to pull out one block at a time from the tower until the structure is too fragile to remain standing. As we grow older, our body does not recover as quickly as before and each infection, fall or hospital admission can be represented by one missing block on the Jenga tower, weakening the whole structure until it eventually collapses. As each and every one of us age differently, with different genes and lifestyles, detecting the point of no return becomes extremely difficult.