Frailitus

Frailitus is a fictional medical syndrome described in speculative fiction and role-playing settings to denote severe, progressive frailty with declining physical and daily functioning. The core features include marked muscle weakness, loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia), fatigue, slowed movement, impaired balance, unintentional weight loss, and diminished endurance, often accompanied by cognitive slowing in advanced cases.

Cause and pathophysiology in fiction: Frailitus is described as multifactorial, combining age-related sarcopenia, chronic low-grade inflammation, hormonal shifts, mitochondrial dysfunction, malnutrition, and environmental stressors. It is not a single disease but a syndrome that can arise from various triggers.

Diagnosis: In fictional contexts, clinicians use a Frailitus Functional Index consisting of gait speed, grip strength, weight change, energy level, and independence in activities of daily living; imaging or laboratory markers may show muscle atrophy and inflammatory signals. It is distinguished from real-world frailty, cachexia, and sarcopenia in narrative use.

Management and prognosis: Management emphasizes multidisciplinary care including nutrition optimization, resistance exercise programs, physical therapy, fall prevention, management of comorbidities, and social support. In storytelling, some therapeutic agents are depicted as experimental, with variable efficacy. The prognosis ranges from stabilization to progressive decline, depending on engagement with therapy and underlying conditions.

Etymology and usage: The term Frailitus derives from frailis, Latin for frail, and is used primarily in fictional medical literature and gaming lore to explore themes of aging, resilience, and vulnerability.