Frailty and stroke: Global implications for assessment, research, and clinical care—A WSO scientific statement (original) (raw)

Evans, N. R. et al. (2025) Frailty and stroke: Global implications for assessment, research, and clinical care—A WSO scientific statement.International Journal of Stroke, 20(8), pp. 905-917. (doi: 10.1177/17474930251345295) (PMID:40390672) (PMCID:PMC12446689)

Abstract

Frailty is common in stroke and has important disease- and treatment-modifying effects. The need to develop clinical practice and research for the impact of frailty on stroke is likely to increase in the coming decades as the global population ages, resulting in a higher burden of frailty that is likely to be borne disproportionately by lower- and middle-income countries. The global nature of frailty in stroke necessitates global action. This World Stroke Organization Scientific Statement synthesizes the current evidence relating to the prevalence and effects of frailty across the stroke pathway. Furthermore, it includes expert consensus on priority areas from a global panel: standardization of frailty assessments for research, explicit measurements of frailty (in addition to disability) in large clinical trials, dedicated studies investigating the treatment-modifying effects of frailty in acute stroke and secondary prevention, research investigating the impact of frailty on the different aspects of recovery and rehabilitation after stroke, and understanding the mechanisms underpinning the relationship between frailty and stroke for potential therapeutic exploitation.

Item Type: Articles
Additional Information: N.R.E. is supported by a Stroke Association Senior Clinical Lectureship (SA-SCL-MED-22\100006), Stroke Association grant funding (PG2S21\100018), and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre (NIHR203312). J.P. declares no relevant funding. L.B. is a clinical lecturer funded by the NIHR. T.N. declares no relevant funding. A.G. receives salary support from a Heart and Stroke Foundation New Investigator Award. B.B. declares no relevant funding. R.M.-K. declares no relevant funding. J.H. is supported by Stroke Association grant funding (PGS21\100015). D.B.C.G. declares no relevant funding. T.J.Q. declares no relevant funding. R.I.L. holds grants from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
Keywords: Acute stroke therapy, ischemic stroke, hemorrhage, rehabilitation, reperfusion, risk factors, stroke, stroke prevalence, treatment, frailty.
Status: Published
Refereed: Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Quinn, Professor Terry
Authors: Evans, N. R., Pinho, J., Beishon, L., Nguyen, T., Ganesh, A., Balasundaram, B., Munthe-Kaas, R., Hewitt, J., Gandhi, D. B.C., Quinn, T. J., and Lindley, R. I.
College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
Journal Name: International Journal of Stroke
Publisher: SAGE Publications
ISSN: 1747-4930
ISSN (Online): 1747-4949
Published Online: 20 May 2025
Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2025 World Stroke Organization
First Published: First published in International Journal of Stroke 20(8):905-917
Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record

Deposit and Record Details

ID Code: 366850
Depositing User: Publications Router
Datestamp: 10 Oct 2025 13:57
Last Modified: 11 Oct 2025 01:31
Date of acceptance: 6 May 2025
Date of first online publication: 20 May 2025
Date Deposited: 10 October 2025
Data Availability Statement: No