Comprehensive Understanding and Management of Frailty: Modern Approaches and Korean Medicine Perspectives

Objectives: This study aimed to review the definition, diagnosis, and management of frailty, and to propose an expanded framework that integrates Korean medicine perspectives for more comprehensive and personalized frailty management. Frailty is a multifaceted condition affecting physical, mental, and social well-being, yet current management strategies primarily emphasize physical aspects, highlighting the need for more holistic approaches. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of current frailty concepts, diagnostic criteria, and evidence-based management strategies. We then explored Korean medicine concepts including Jeonggi (vital energy), kidney deficiency, and Hwa-byung as potential complementary frameworks, examining their relevance to frailty understanding and management. The potential of constitutional-based and pattern-based typologies for personalized frailty care was also analyzed. Results: Current frailty management strategies primarily focus on physical dimensions, with less attention to mental and social aspects. Korean medicine offers complementary frameworks that emphasize strengthening resilience, balancing physiological systems, and individualizing care. Literature review revealed significant associations between Sasang constitutional types and sarcopenia risk, suggesting constitutional predispositions to frailty. Our theoretical analysis proposes correlations between kidney-related patterns and specific frailty manifestations, potentially enabling more precise prevention strategies. We propose that including Hwa-byung as a culturally-specific form of emotional frailty may enhance assessment sensitivity in Korean populations. Conclusions: By integrating Korean medicine perspectives with modern frailty frameworks, we can develop a more comprehensive approach to frailty that encompasses physical, mental, and social dimensions. Constitutional and pattern-based typologies offer promising avenues for personalized frailty prevention and management. Future research should focus on developing integrated assessment tools that capture the multidimensional nature of frailty while accounting for cultural variations in frailty manifestation and response to interventions.