Brain HealthWhy Frailty and Comorbidity Must Be Central to Stroke Care in Older Adults
Stroke remains predominantly a disease of older adults, yet current care pathways rarely account for the three major complexities of aging: comorbidity, disability, and frailty. This Lancet Healthy Longevity review from researchers at Glasgow, Cambridge, and Dublin examines how each of these factors independently and collectively shapes stroke risk, treatment response, and recovery outcomes. The authors argue these conditions share a bidirectional relationship with stroke — each can worsen stroke severity while stroke itself accelerates their progression. The review maps these dynamics across the full stroke journey, from prevention and acute care through long-term life after stroke. The authors conclude that stroke medicine has much to learn from geriatric and multimorbidity research, and that integrating formal assessment of frailty, disability, and comorbidity into routine stroke pathways is both overdue and achievable.
