Frailty Phenotype Calculator (Fried criteria)

Understanding the frailty phenotype calculator — concept and principle

Frailty is a state of reduced physiological reserve in older adults, in which a minor illness or fall can cause a disproportionate decline. The frailty phenotype defined by Linda Fried and colleagues in 2001 is the most widely cited way to identify it. This calculator counts how many of the five Fried criteria you meet and classifies the result as robust, pre-frail or frail.

Two of the five criteria are met, which falls in the 1–2 pre-frail band.

How it is calculated

Enter 1 for each criterion that applies and 0 otherwise:

Weight loss: unintentional loss of about 4.5 kg (10 lb) or more in the past year
Exhaustion: often feeling that everything is an effort or that you cannot get going
Low physical activity: weekly energy expenditure in the lowest group for your sex
Slow walking speed: slow time over a short walk, adjusted for sex and height
Weak grip strength: low hand-grip force, adjusted for sex and BMI

Score = sum of the five items (0–5). 0 = robust, 1–2 = pre-frail, 3 or more = frail.

The principle

Fried's group studied more than 5,000 adults aged 65 and over in the Cardiovascular Health Study. They proposed that frailty is a cycle: loss of muscle reduces strength and walking speed, which lowers activity and energy use, which leads to poorer appetite and further weight loss. Each criterion captures one part of that cycle, and in the original study, slow gait, weakness and activity were set at the lowest 20% of the cohort. People who met three or more criteria had higher rates of falls, worsening mobility, hospitalisation and death over the following years.

Worked example

Inputs: weight loss 0, exhaustion 1, low activity 0, slow walking 1, weak grip 0.
Sum: 0 + 1 + 0 + 1 + 0 = 2 criteria met.
Two is in the 1–2 band.
Status: pre-frail.

Each point is the calculator re-run with only “Unintentional weight loss ≥ 4.5 kg in a year (1 yes, 0 no)” changed; the gold point is the default example. Change the inputs above and this chart follows your numbers.

Unintentional weight loss ≥ 4.5 kg in a year (1 yes, 0 no)	Criteria met
0	2
1	3
2	4
3	5
4	6
5	7
6	8

How to read the result

Where does your result fall?

Pre-frailty is common and, importantly, often reversible. Regular resistance and balance exercise, enough protein, review of medicines and treatment of underlying illness can improve walking speed and grip. A score of 3 or more calls for a comprehensive geriatric assessment.

Common mistakes

Counting intentional dieting as weight loss.
Guessing walking speed or grip strength instead of measuring them with a timed walk and a dynamometer.
Treating frailty as simply "being old"; many very old people are robust.

Keep in mind: This self-check simplifies a research tool whose cut-offs came from one study population. It is not a diagnosis; talk to a doctor about your results.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as weak grip in Asian adults?

For sarcopenia screening, the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (2019) uses below 28 kg for men and below 18 kg for women.

What walking speed is considered slow?

The same 2019 Asian guideline uses a usual gait speed below 1.0 m/s; Fried used the slowest 20% adjusted for sex and height.

Can frailty be prevented?

Physical activity, especially strength training, good nutrition and social engagement lower the risk.

Sources: Fried LP, Tangen CM, Walston J, et al. Frailty in older adults: evidence for a phenotype. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2001;56:M146–M156 · Chen LK, Woo J, Assantachai P, et al. Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia: 2019 consensus update. J Am Med Dir Assoc 2020;21:300–307

Checked 8 Nov 2026. Fried et al., J Gerontol 2001.

Your numbers