As the life expectancy in European countries continues to increase, the maintenance of physical independence in older adults has become a major public health priority. The ability to ambulate without assistance is crucial for independent living and it is often the first ability to be lost in the process leading to disability. Elderly people who have impaired walking function need more assistance and are more likely to be placed into nursing homes, have a higher risk of morbidity, mortality and hospitalization, and experience a reduced quality of life.
The ultimate goals of SPRINTT are to offer efficient treatment options to physically frailty, sarcopenic older persons and to improve their quality of life. This result will directly contribute to the long-term sustainability and efficiency of health and social-care systems.
The conceptualization of PF&S as proposed in SPRINTT will promote significant advancements over the traditional approaches by enabling the precise operationalization of the condition, a clear identification of the affected population and the rapid translation of findings to the clinical arena.