Asian Association for Frailty and Sarcopenia

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About the AAFS

The Asian Association for Frailty and Sarcopenia (AAFS) was established in 2017, and there are three secretariats of the AAFS located in Taiwan (Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei), Japan (National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu), and Korea (Department of Family Medicine, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Seoul).

The aims of the AAFS are:

to promote awareness of frailty and sarcopenia;
to share experience and skills, and create knowledge of frailty and sarcopenia;
to promote research collaboration of frailty and sarcopenia; and
to promote diagnostic criteria, practice guidelines, and other recommendations regarding to frailty and sarcopenia.

Executive Board of the AAFS

Liang-Kung Chen (Taiwan)
President

Professor and Director, Aging and Health Research Center, National Yang Ming University
Director, Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Chairman, Asia Pacific League of Clinical Gerontology and Geriatrics
Director, National Intermediate Care Program
Council Board member, Taiwan Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics
Asia Ambassador of Global Aging Research Network, IAGG
Vice Secretary-General, Chinese Medical Association (Taipei)

Hidenori Arai (Japan)
Vice President

President, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology
Deputy Director, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology
Vice President of the Japan Geriatrics Society
Chairman of the Japanese Study Group on Sarcopenia and Frailty
Secretary General of the Asia Pacific Federation of International Atherosclerosis Society
Associate Editor of Journal of Clinical Gerontology and Geriatrics
Executive Editor of Geriatrics and Gerontology International
Board of Japanese Society of Internal Medicine
Board of Japan Geriatric Society
Board of Japan Atherosclerosis Society

Chang Won Won (Korea)
Secretary-General

Assistant Professor -Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul
Head, Dept of Anti-aging Medicine, East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University
Director, Senior Health Care Center, Kyung Hee University Hospital
Director of the International Relations, the Korean Federation of Gerontologic Societies
Director, Elderly Frailty Research Center, Kyung Hee University

Members

Taiwan association of Integrated Care

Japan Geriatrics Society

Korean Geriatrics Society

Membership of the AAFS shall be composed of associations/organizations related to frailty and sarcopenia. The function of the AAFS shall be carried out through the Members (associations, and organizations), the executive board, and such other Committees, Task Forces and Working Groups as may be established and authorized by the executive board. Associations and organizations may apply to the secretariat of the AAFS by letter of intent for membership. Affiliate members of the AAFS must be endorsed by the first member associations and organizations of their country and shall be approved by the Board.

Meetings and News

Academic Activities

AAFS supports academic activities for frailty and sarcopenia in Asia, in particular, the operation of Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS). AWGS consists of researchers in Asian countries, i.e. China, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and others, to work in the definition, diagnostic algorithm, treatment recommendations and all issues related to sarcopenia in Asia. Until now, AWGS published the Asian consensus for sarcopenia diagnosis in 2014, an update report in 2016 and the revised diagnosis consensus in 2019 as AWGS 2019.

Besides, AAFS also started a working group for cognitive frailty in Asia to highlight the importance of physio-cognitive declines in aging process. Currently, a new definition has been proposed and supported by the epidemiological studies from both Japan and Taiwan. The working group has two prior meetings in Nagoya and Seoul, and we aim to provide a position paper in 2020.