Introduction:

The frailty syndrome is a consequence of the decrease in resistance and physiological reserves of the elderly, which makes it vulnerable to adverse health effects.

Objectives:

To determine the prevalence of frailty in older adults admitted to the internal medicine ward of the Central Military Hospital "Dr. Carlos J. Finlay " and identify within a set of biological, psychological, social and functional factors, which have greater association with frailty.

Method:

Observational, cross-sectional study. The criteria proposed by the Association of Combatants of the Cuban Revolution were used to diagnose frailty.

Results:

A prevalence of frailty of 62.9% was found. The presence of a significant association between frailty and the following risk factors was determined: widowhood, malnutrition, cognitive impairment, depression, disability and impaired flexibility and mobility tests.

Conclusions:

The prevalence of frailty is high and was among the expected values ​​for elderly people living in Latin America and the Caribbean. Disability and cognitive impairment constituted risk factors for frailty.

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