GPs should prescribe protein powders and weight lifting to pensioners to help reverse frailty, health experts have recommended.

Increases in life expectancy have led to rising numbers of frail elderly people and it is estimated that one in 10 people suffers with infirmity, rising to half of those over 80.

In the new study, published in the British Journal of General Practice, researchers from University College Dublin conducted a systematic review on studies on frailty interventions.

They identified 46 studies in which 15,690 people were asked to take part in either exercise programmes, health education, nutrition supplementation, home visits, hormone supplements or counselling.

The authors found that interventions with both muscle strength training and protein supplementation were consistently considered to be the best for effectiveness and ease of implementation.

Writing in the British Journal of Practice, lead author John Travers, of the Department of Geriatric Medicine, St Vincent’s University Hospital, said: “Frailty screening is increasingly recommended in primary care and in some cases contractually required, but there is a lack of guidance on interventions, once frailty has been identified.

“This study outlines both the relative effectiveness and ease of implementation of frailty interventions in primary care, and these findings may help the choice of appropriate primary care interventions.”

The authors went on to make recommendations on what GPs should recommend to their patients including: 20 to 25 minutes of activity, four days per week at home comprising 15 exercises to strengthen arms and legs and to improve balance and coordination.

There should be dietary emphasis on daily milk, eggs, tuna or chicken or, if preferred, formula protein with meals, the authors added.

“The new NHS England GMS contractual practice interventions do not primarily include physical therapy and nutrition,” the authors added.

“The results of this review may be helpful in a future evaluation and revision of a new NHS contract.”