Current and emerging biomarkers of frailty in the elderly

Gut microbial features and circulating metabolomic signatures of frailty in older adults

Frailty, a multidimensional indicator of suboptimal aging, reflects cumulative declines across multiple physiological systems. Although age-related changes have been reported in gut microbiota, their role in healthy aging remains unclear. In this study, we calculated frailty index (FI) from 33 health-related items to reflect the overall health status of 1,821 older adults (62-96 years, 55% female) and conducted multi-omics analysis using gut metagenomic sequencing data and plasma metabolomic data. We identified 18 microbial species and 17 metabolites shifted along with frailty severity, with stronger links observed in females. The associations of nine species, including various Clostridium species and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, with FI were reproducible in two external populations. Plasma glycerol levels, white blood cell count and kidney function partially mediated these associations. A composite microbial score derived from FI significantly predicted 2-year mortality (adjusted hazard ratio across extreme quartiles, 2.86; 95% confidence interval, 1.38-5.93), highlighting the potential of microbiota-based strategies for risk stratification in older adults.

Potential protein biomarkers in saliva for detection of frailty syndrome by targeted proteomics

Frailty is a physiological geriatric syndrome, caused by immunosenescence, inflammation and alterations at the protein level leading to metabolic and microbiota changes. Currently, this syndrome is evaluated clinically with the Frailty-VIG index. The aim of the study was therefore to investigate the potential suitability of saliva as a non-invasive proximal biological fluid for the characterisation and identification of possible protein-level biomarkers in frailty syndrome. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural population of older Spanish adults using the SMR proteomics technique. A differential protein profile of eight potential and surrogate proteins (CYTC, CYTD, CYTS, CYTB, MIF, ALBU, CD44 and B2MG) was detected in saliva, all of which correlated with factors characterising frailty syndrome, such as vascular ageing (arterial stiffness and cardiovascular disease), obesity, mood problems, global cognitive impairment, changes in gait and hand pressure strength. The proteins CYTD (r = 0.415, p = 0.013) and CYTC (r = 0.280, p = 0.026), which were detected differentially in the protein profile, were associated with the Frailty-VIG index. All analysed proteins are associated not only with the clinical symptoms of frailty syndrome, but also with an acute inflammatory response, endothelial cell proliferation and the complement system, among others.

New insights into healthy ageing, inflammageing and frailty using metabolomics

Human ageing is a normal process and does not necessarily result in the development of frailty. A mix of genetic, environmental, dietary, and lifestyle factors can have an impact on ageing, and whether an individual develops frailty. Frailty is defined as the loss of physiological reserve both at the physical and cellular levels, where systemic processes such as oxidative stress and inflammation contribute to physical decline. The newest "omics" technology and systems biology discipline, metabolomics, enables thorough characterisation of small-molecule metabolites in biological systems at a particular time and condition. In a biological system, metabolites-cellular intermediate products of metabolic reactions-reflect the system's final response to genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, epigenetic, or environmental alterations. As a relatively newer technique to characterise metabolites and biomarkers in ageing and illness, metabolomics has gained popularity and has a wide range of applications. We will give a comprehensive summary of what is currently known about metabolomics in studies of ageing, with a focus on biomarkers for frailty. Metabolites related to amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and redox metabolism may function as biomarkers of ageing and/or frailty development, based on data obtained from human studies. However, there is a complexity that underpins biological ageing, due to both genetic and environmental factors that play a role in orchestrating the ageing process. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify pathways that contribute to functional decline in people with frailty.

The association between frailty biomarkers and 20-year all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among community-dwelling older adults

OBJECTIVES

While several biomarkers were previously associated with frailty and mortality, data are still contradicting. We aimed to evaluate the association between novel biomarkers and frailty among community-dwelling older adults to enhance understanding of the pathophysiology of frailty.

METHODS

Nine hundred and sixty-three older adults were screened during the third phase (1999-2008) of the Israel study on Glucose Intolerance, Obesity, and Hypertension (GOH). Frailty was defined as sedentary individuals, past 10 years hospitalizations, or at least one of the following: body mass index (BMI) <21 kg/m2; albumin <3.2 g/dl; ≥2 major baseline diseases. Biomarkers were evaluated for their association with frailty, all-cause, and cardiovascular mortality.

RESULTS

Mean baseline age was 72 ± 7 years, 471 (49%) were women, and 195 (20%) were classified as frail. Median follow-up for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality was 11 and 13 years, with 179 (18.6%) and 466 (48.4%) deaths recorded, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression showed greater odds for frailty with lower quartile of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (OR = 1.8, 95%CI: 1.2-2.8, p = 0.01), and for each 5 µmol/L increment in homocysteine levels (OR = 1.3, 95%CI: 1.1-1.5, p = 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression showed greater all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk for individuals with low ALT (HR = 1.6, 95%CI: 1.3-2.0, p < 0.001 and HR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.0-2.2, p = 0.03, respectively), and high homocysteine (HR = 1.1, 95%CI: 1.1-1.3, p = 0.003 and HR = 1.2, 95%CI: 1.0-1.3, p = 0.04, respectively). Homocysteine association with mortality was more pronounced in those with baseline ischemic heart disease (IHD) compared with subjects free of IHD (P for interaction = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Lower ALT and higher homocysteine were associated with frailty, all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. These available and low-cost biomarkers underscore the nutritional and metabolic aspects of frailty when screening high-risk older adults, especially those with IHD, and may be considered as preferable screening biomarkers to be tested among these individuals for frailty and mortality risk.

Associations between epigenetic age acceleration and longitudinal measures of psychosocioeconomic stress and status

Relationships between epigenetic aging markers and psychosocial variables such as socioeconomic status and stress have been well-documented, but are often examined cross-sectionally or retrospectively, and have tended to focus on objective markers of SES or major life events. Here, we examined associations between psychosocial variables, including measures of socioeconomic status and social stress, and epigenetic aging markers in adulthood, using longitudinal data spanning three decades from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. The largest effects were observed for epigenetic markers of change in health, such as DunedinPACE and GrimAge, and for associations involving education, income, net assets, general social stress, inequality-related stress, and financial stress. Analyses of polygenic indices suggests that at least in the case of education, the link to epigenetic aging cannot be accounted for by common genetic variants.

Frailty in Kidney Disease: A Comprehensive Review to Advance Its Clinical and Research Applications

Frailty is a multisystem syndrome of decreased physiologic reserve that has been shown to strongly and independently predict morbidity and mortality. Frailty is prevalent in patients living with kidney disease and occurs earlier in individuals with kidney disease as compared to the general population. In this comprehensive review, we examine clinical and research applications of frailty in kidney disease populations. Specifically, we clarify the definition of frailty and address common misconceptions, review the mechanisms and epidemiology of frailty in kidney disease, discuss challenges and limitations in frailty measurement, and provide updated evidence related to risk factors for frailty, its associated adverse outcomes, and interventions. We further add to the literature in this topic by highlighting the potential applications of frailty measurement in the care of patients with kidney disease and conclude with our recommendations for future research related to this important syndrome.

Biological basis and treatment of frailty and sarcopenia

In an ageing society, the importance of maintaining healthy life expectancy has been emphasized. As a result of age-related decline in functional reserve, frailty is a state of increased vulnerability and susceptibility to adverse health outcomes with a serious impact on healthy life expectancy. The decline in skeletal muscle mass and function, also known as sarcopenia, is key in the development of physical frailty. Both frailty and sarcopenia are highly prevalent in patients not only with advanced age but also in patients with illnesses that exacerbate their progression like heart failure (HF), cancer, or dementia, with the prevalence of frailty and sarcopenia in HF patients reaching up to 50-75% and 19.5-47.3%, respectively, resulting in 1.5-3 times higher 1-year mortality. The biological mechanisms of frailty and sarcopenia are multifactorial, complex, and not yet fully elucidated, ranging from DNA damage, proteostasis impairment, and epigenetic changes to mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence, and environmental factors, many of which are further linked to cardiac disease. Currently, there is no gold standard for the treatment of frailty and sarcopenia, however, growing evidence supports that a combination of exercise training and nutritional supplement improves skeletal muscle function and frailty, with a variety of other therapies being devised based on the underlying pathophysiology. In this review, we address the involvement of frailty and sarcopenia in cardiac disease and describe the latest insights into their biological mechanisms as well as the potential for intervention through exercise, diet, and specific therapies.

Biomarkers of frailty

Several biomarkers have been proposed to identify frailty, a multisystemic age-related syndrome. However, the complex pathophysiology and the absence of a consensus on a comprehensive and universal definition make it challenging to pinpoint a singular biomarker or set of biomarkers that conclusively characterize frailty. This review delves into the main laboratory biomarkers, placing special emphasis on those associated with various pathways closely tied to the frailty condition, such as inflammation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic and endocrine alterations and microRNA. Additionally, we provide a summary of different clinical biomarkers encompassing different tools that have been proposed to assess frailty. We further address various imaging biomarkers such as Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry, Bioelectrical Impedance analysis, Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Ultrasound and D3 Creatine dilution. Intervention to treat frailty, including non-pharmacological ones, especially those involving physical exercise and nutrition, and pharmacological interventions, that include those targeting specific mechanisms such as myostatin inhibitors, insulin sensitizer metformin and with special relevance for hormonal treatments are mentioned. We further address the levels of different biomarkers in monitoring the potential positive effects of some of these interventions. Despite the availability of numerous biomarkers, their performance and usefulness in the clinical arena are far from being satisfactory. Considering the multicausality of frailty, there is an increasing need to assess the role of sets of biomarkers and the combination between laboratory, clinical and image biomarkers, in terms of sensitivity, specificity and predictive values for the diagnosis and prognosis of the different outcomes of frailty to improve detection and monitoring of older people with frailty or at risk of developing it, being this a need in the everyday clinical practice.

Prognostic accuracy of 70 individual frailty biomarkers in predicting mortality in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

The frailty index (FI) uses a deficit accumulation approach to derive a single, comprehensive, and replicable indicator of age-related health status. Yet, many researchers continue to seek a single "frailty biomarker" to facilitate clinical screening. We investigated the prognostic accuracy of 70 individual biomarkers in predicting mortality, comparing each with a composite FI. A total of 29,341 individuals from the comprehensive cohort of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging were included (mean, 59.4 ± 9.9 years; 50.3% female). Twenty-three blood-based biomarkers and 47 test-based biomarkers (e.g., physical, cardiac, cardiology) were examined. Two composite FIs were derived: FI-Blood and FI-Examination. Mortality status was ascertained using provincial vital statistics linkages and contact with next of kin. Areas under the curve were calculated to compare prognostic accuracy across models (i.e., age, sex, biomarker, FI) in predicting mortality. Compared to an age-sex only model, the addition of individual biomarkers demonstrated improved model fit for 24/70 biomarkers (11 blood, 13 test-based). Inclusion of FI-Blood or FI-Examination improved mortality prediction when compared to any of the 70 biomarker-age-sex models. Individual addition of seven biomarkers (walking speed, chair rise, time up and go, pulse, red blood cell distribution width, C-reactive protein, white blood cells) demonstrated an improved fit when added to the age-sex-FI model. FI scores had better mortality risk prediction than any biomarker. Although seven biomarkers demonstrated improved prognostic accuracy when considered alongside an FI score, all biomarkers had worse prognostic accuracy on their own. Rather than a single biomarker test, implementation of routine FI assessment in clinical settings may provide a more accurate and reliable screening tool to identify those at increased risk of adverse outcomes.

The intersection of frailty and metabolism

On average, aging is associated with unfavorable changes in cellular metabolism, which are the processes involved in the storage and expenditure of energy. However, metabolic dysregulation may not occur to the same extent in all older individuals as people age at different rates. Those who are aging rapidly are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes and are said to be "frail." Here, we explore the links between frailty and metabolism, including metabolic contributors and consequences of frailty. We examine how metabolic diseases may modify the degree of frailty in old age and suggest that frailty may predispose toward metabolic disease. Metabolic interventions that can mitigate the degree of frailty in people are reviewed. New treatment strategies developed in animal models that are poised for translation to humans are also considered. We suggest that maintaining a youthful metabolism into older age may be protective against frailty.

Use of dried blood spots for monitoring inflammatory and nutritional biomarkers in the elderly

OBJECTIVES

Blood microsampling, particularly dried blood spots (DBSs), is an attractive minimally-invasive approach that is well suited for home sampling and predictive medicine associated with longitudinal follow-up of the elderly. However, in vitro diagnostic quantification of biomarkers from DBS poses a major challenge. Clinical mass spectrometry can reliably quantify blood proteins in various research projects. Our goal here was to use mass spectrometry of DBS in a real-world clinical setting and compared it to the standard immunoassay method. We also sought to correlate DBS mass spectrometry measurements with clinical indices.

METHODS

A clinical trial of diagnostic equivalence was conducted to compare conventional venous samples quantified by immunoassay and DBSs quantified by mass spectrometry in an elderly population. We assayed three protein biomarkers of nutritional and inflammatory status: prealbumin (transthyretin), C-reactive protein, and transferrin.

RESULTS

The analysis of DBSs showed satisfactory variability and low detection limits. Statistical analysis confirmed that the two methods give comparable results at clinical levels of accuracy. In conclusion, we demonstrated, in a real-life setting, that DBSs can be used to measure prealbumin, CRP and transferrin, which are commonly used markers of nutritional status and inflammation in the elderly. However, there was no correlation with patient frailty for these proteins.

CONCLUSIONS

Early detection and regular monitoring of nutritional and inflammatory problems using DBS appear to be clinically feasible. This could help resolve major public health challenges in the elderly for whom frailty leads to serious risks of health complications.

Dysregulation of Inflammatory Pathways in Adult Spinal Deformity Patients with Frailty

Background/Objectives: An important aspect of the pathophysiology of frailty seems to be the dysregulation of inflammatory pathways and the coagulation system. However, an objective assessment of the impact of frailty on the recovery from surgery is not fully studied. This study sought to assess how frailty affects the recovery of adult spinal deformity (ASD) surgery using blood biomarkers. Methods: 153 consecutive ASD patients (age 64 ± 10 yr, 93% female) who had corrective spine surgery in a single institution and reached 2y f/u were included. The subjects were stratified by frailty using the modified frailty index-11 (robust [R] group or prefrail and frail [F] group). Results of commonly employed laboratory tests at baseline, 1, 3, 7, and 14 post-operative days (POD) were compared. Further comparison was performed in propensity-score matched-39 paired patients between the groups by age, curve type, and baseline alignment. A correlation between HRQOLs, major complications, and biomarkers was performed. Results: Among the propensity-score matched groups, CRP was significantly elevated in the F group at POD1,3(POD1; 5.3 ± 3.1 vs. 7.9 ± 4.7 p = 0.02, POD3; 6.6 ± 4.6 vs. 8.9 ± 5.2 p = 0.02). Transaminase was also elevated in the F group at POD3(ASD: 36 ± 15 vs. 51 ± 58 U/L, p = 0.03, ALT: 32 ± 16 vs. 47 ± 55 U/L, p = 0.04). Interestingly, moderate correlation was observed between transaminase at POD1 and 2 y SRS22 (AST; function r = -0.37, mental health r = -0.39, satisfaction -0.28, total r = -0.40, ALT; function r = -0.37, satisfaction -0.34, total r = -0.39). Conclusions: Frailty affected the serum CRP and transaminase differently following ASD surgery. Transaminase at early POD was correlated with 2 y HRQOLs. These findings support the hypothesis that there is a specific physiological basis to the frailty that is characterized in part by increased inflammation and that these physiological differences persist.

RhoA/rho kinase pathway activation in age-associated endothelial cell dysfunction and thrombosis

The small GTPase RhoA and the downstream Rho kinase (ROCK) regulate several cell functions and pathological processes in the vascular system that contribute to the age-dependent risk of cardiovascular disease, including endothelial dysfunction, excessive permeability, inflammation, impaired angiogenesis, abnormal vasoconstriction, decreased nitric oxide production and apoptosis. Frailty is a loss of physiological reserve and adaptive capacity with advanced age and is accompanied by a pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidative state that promotes vascular dysfunction and thrombosis. This review summarises the role of the RhoA/Rho kinase signalling pathway in endothelial dysfunction, the acquisition of the pro-thrombotic state and vascular ageing. We also discuss the possible role of RhoA/Rho kinase signalling as a promising therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of age-related cardiovascular disease.

Prevalence and population characteristics associated with frailty in a rural low socioeconomic area in Denmark: the Lolland-Falster Health Study

BACKGROUND

Frailty is a major geriatric syndrome that predicts increased vulnerability to minor stressor events and adverse outcomes such as falls, fractures, disability and death. The prevalence of frailty among individuals above the age of 65 varies widely with an overall weighted prevalence of 10.7%.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of prefrailty and frailty in community-dwelling older adults from the regions of Lolland-Falster, which is one of the most socioeconomically disadvantaged areas of Denmark with lower income and lower life expectancy compared with the general Danish population. Moreover, the objective was to find selected individual characteristics associated with frailty.

DESIGN

An observational, cross-sectional registry-based population study with data from the regions of Lolland-Falster collected between February 2016 and February 2020.

RESULTS

The study included 19 000 individuals. There were 10 154 above the age of 50 included for analysis. Prevalence of frailty in the age group of 50-64 years was 4.7% and 8.7% in the age group of 65 years and above.The study demonstrates associations between frailty and high age, female gender, low education level, low income, smoking, living alone, frequency of seeing one's children and getting help when needed. These associations are comparable with findings from other studies.

CONCLUSION

The syndrome of frailty consists of not only physiological and medical issues but also education, life conditions such as living alone and living in poverty and how you evaluate your own health.

Serum biomarkers related to frailty predict negative outcomes in older adults with hip fracture

PURPOSE

Hip fracture is a public health problem worldwide. Traditional prognostic models do not include blood biomarkers, such as those obtained by proteomics. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between serum inflammatory biomarkers and frailty in older adults with hip fracture as well as adverse outcomes at one and three months after discharge.

METHODS

A total of 45 patients aged 75 or older who were admitted for hip fracture were recruited. At admission, a Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) was conducted, which included a frailty assessment using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Blood samples were collected before surgery. Participants were followed up at one and three months after discharge. The levels of 45 cytokines were analyzed using a high-throughput proteomic approach. Binary logistic regression was used to determine independent associations with outcomes, such as functional recovery, polypharmacy, hospital readmission, and mortality.

RESULTS

The results showed that IL-7 (OR 0.66 95% CI 0.46-0.94, p = 0.022) and CXCL-12 (OR 0.97 95% CI 0.95-0.99, p = 0.011) were associated with better functional recovery at three months after discharge, while CXCL-8 (OR 1.07 95% CI 1.01-1.14, p = 0.019) was associated with an increased risk of readmission.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that immunology biomarkers may represent useful predictors of clinical outcomes in hip fracture patients.

How I treat multiple myeloma in geriatric patients

ABSTRACT

Multiple myeloma (MM) is primarily a disease of older patients. Until recently, geriatric aspects in the context of MM have been poorly investigated. Treatment outcomes for geriatric patients with MM are often compromised by comorbidities and an enhanced susceptibility to adverse events from therapy. Assessment of patient frailty has become more frequent and will be useful in the context of significant and continuous advances in therapy. The recent emergence of immunotherapy with CD38 monoclonal antibodies and upcoming immunooncology drugs, such as bispecific antibodies, will lead to additional therapeutic progress. The applicability of these new molecules to older and frail patients is a key clinical question. Here, we present 2 patient cases derived from clinical practice. We review current frailty scores and standards of care for older, newly diagnosed patients with MM, including frail subgroups, and discuss ways to tailor treatment, as well as treatment perspectives in this population.

Validation and modification of simplified Geriatric Assessment and Elderly Prognostic Index: Effective tools for older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Geriatric assessment can aid in optimizing treatment strategies and supportive interventions for older patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Fondazione Italiana Linformi has recently introduced novel geriatric assessment tools, simplified Geriatric Assessment (sGA) and Elderly Prognostic Index (EPI), aimed at tailoring the treatment and predicting the outcomes for older patients with DLBCL. The objectives of this study are the validation and possible modification of the sGA and EPI in China. In the study, both sGA and EPI demonstrated the predictive capabilities for overall survival (OS) and early mortality (both p < 0.05) in older individuals with DLBCL. Albumin, serving as an independent predictive biomarker for OS (p = 0.006), was utilized to adjust the measurements, resulting in the establishment of sGA-A and EPI-A. The sGA-A effectively addressed the shortcomings of the sGA and EPI in predicting PFS and surpassed them in predicting OS and early mortality. Nevertheless, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of sGA and EPI as treatment guidance tools. In conclusion, the modified sGA-A model proved to be a successful instrument for geriatric assessment of older patients with DLBCL.

Biomarkers of aging in frailty and age-associated disorders: State of the art and future perspective

According to the Geroscience concept that organismal aging and age-associated diseases share the same basic molecular mechanisms, the identification of biomarkers of age that can efficiently classify people as biologically older (or younger) than their chronological (i.e. calendar) age is becoming of paramount importance. These people will be in fact at higher (or lower) risk for many different age-associated diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration, cancer, etc. In turn, patients suffering from these diseases are biologically older than healthy age-matched individuals. Many biomarkers that correlate with age have been described so far. The aim of the present review is to discuss the usefulness of some of these biomarkers (especially soluble, circulating ones) in order to identify frail patients, possibly before the appearance of clinical symptoms, as well as patients at risk for age-associated diseases. An overview of selected biomarkers will be discussed in this regard, in particular we will focus on biomarkers related to metabolic stress response, inflammation, and cell death (in particular in neurodegeneration), all phenomena connected to inflammaging (chronic, low-grade, age-associated inflammation). In the second part of the review, next-generation markers such as extracellular vesicles and their cargos, epigenetic markers and gut microbiota composition, will be discussed. Since recent progresses in omics techniques have allowed an exponential increase in the production of laboratory data also in the field of biomarkers of age, making it difficult to extract biological meaning from the huge mass of available data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches will be discussed as an increasingly important strategy for extracting knowledge from raw data and providing practitioners with actionable information to treat patients.

Effect of immunology biomarkers associated with hip fracture and fracture risk in older adults

Osteoporosis is a skeletal disease that can increase the risk of fractures, leading to adverse health and socioeconomic consequences. However, current clinical methods have limitations in accurately estimating fracture risk, particularly in older adults. Thus, new technologies are necessary to improve the accuracy of fracture risk estimation. In this observational study, we aimed to explore the association between serum cytokines and hip fracture status in older adults, and their associations with fracture risk using the FRAX reference tool. We investigated the use of a proximity extension assay (PEA) with Olink. We compared the characteristics of the population, functional status and detailed body composition (determined using densitometry) between groups. We enrolled 40 participants, including 20 with hip fracture and 20 without fracture, and studied 46 cytokines in their serum. After conducting a score plot and two unpaired t-tests using the Benjamini-Hochberg method, we found that Interleukin 6 (IL-6), Lymphotoxin-alpha (LT-α), Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FLT3LG), Colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1), and Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 7 (CCL7) were significantly different between fracture and non-fracture patients (p < 0.05). IL-6 had a moderate correlation with FRAX (R2 = 0.409, p < 0.001), while CSF1 and CCL7 had weak correlations with FRAX. LT-α and FLT3LG exhibited a negative correlation with the risk of fracture. Our results suggest that targeted proteomic tools have the capability to identify differentially regulated proteins and may serve as potential markers for estimating fracture risk. However, longitudinal studies will be necessary to validate these results and determine the temporal patterns of changes in cytokine profiles.

Influence of Age, Gender, Frailty, and Body Mass Index on Serum IL-17A Levels in Mature Type 2 Diabetic Patients

BACKGROUND The cytokine IL-17A is emerging as a marker of chronic inflammation in cardio-metabolic conditions. This study aimed to identify relevant factors that in older primary care patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) could influence serum IL-17A concentrations. The results have a potential to improve risk stratification and therapy options for these patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was conducted during a period of 4 months, in 2020, in the south-eastern region of Croatia. Patients from primary health care, diagnosed with T2D (N=170, M: F 75: 95, ≥50 years old), were recruited at their visits. Those with malignant diseases, on chemotherapy or biological therapy, with amputated legs, or at hemodialysis, were excluded. The multinomial regression models were used to determine independent associations of the groups of variables, indicating sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of these patients, with increasing values (quartiles) of serum IL-17A. RESULTS The regression models indicated the frailty index and sex bias are the key modifying factors in associations of other variables with IL-17A serum values. CONCLUSIONS Sex bias and the existence of different frailty phenotypes could be the essential determining factors of the serum IL-17A levels in community-dwelling patients with T2D age 50 years and older. The results support the concept of T2D as a complex disorder.

The Geriatric Prognostic Index: a clinical prediction model for survival of older diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients treated with standard immunochemotherapy

The International prognostic Index (IPI) is the most widely used clinical prediction model for diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP), but may be suboptimal in older patients. We aimed to develop and externally validate a clinical prediction model for older, RCHOP- treated DLBCL patients by examining geriatric assessment and lymphoma-related parameters in real-world cohorts. A population-based training set of 365 R-CHOP-treated DLBCL patients ≥70 years was identified through the Cancer Registry of Norway. The external test set consisted of a population-based cohort of 193 patients. Data on candidate predictors were retrieved from the Cancer Registry and through review of clinical records. Cox regression models for 2-year overall survival were used for model selection. Activities of daily living, the Charlson Comorbidity Index, age, sex, albumin, stage, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status and lactate dehydrogenase level were identified as independent predictors and combined into a Geriatric Prognostic Index (GPI). The GPI demonstrated good discrimination (optimismcorrected C-index 0.752), and identified low-, intermediate- and high-risk groups with significantly different survivals (2- year overall survival, 94%, 65%, and 25%, respectively). At external validation, the continuous and grouped GPI demonstrated good discrimination (C-index 0.727 and 0.710, respectively) and the GPI groups had significantly different survivals (2-year overall survival 95%, 65%, and 44%, respectively). Both the continuous and grouped GPI showed better discrimination than the IPI, revised-IPI and National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)-IPI (C-index 0.621, 0.583, and 0.670, respectively). In conclusion, we have developed and externally validated a GPI for older DLBCL patients treated with R-CHOP that outperformed the IPI, revised-IPI and NCCN-IPI. A web-based calculator is available at https://wide.shinyapps. io/GPIcalculator/.

Bidirectional Association Between Frailty and Cardiac Structure and Function: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Background Frailty and heart failure frequently coexist in late life. Limited data exist regarding the longitudinal associations of frailty and subclinical cardiac dysfunction. We aim to quantify the association of frailty with longitudinal changes in cardiac function and of cardiac function with progression in frailty status in older adults. Methods and Results Participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort underwent frailty assessments at Visit 5 (V5; 2011-2013), V6 (2016-2017), and V7 (2018-2019), and echocardiographic assessments at V5 and V7. We assessed the association between frailty status at V5 and changes in frailty status from V5 to V7 and changes in cardiac function over 6 years. We then evaluated the association of cardiac function measured at Visit 5 with progression in frailty status over 4 years. Multivariable regression models adjusted for demographics and comorbidities. Among 2574 participants free of heart failure at V5 and V7 (age 74±4 years at V5 and 81±4 years at V7), 3% (n=83) were frail. Frailty at V5 was associated with greater left atrial volume index and E/e' ratio at V5 and 7. Participants who transitioned from robust at V5 to frail at V7 demonstrated greater increases in left ventricular mass index, left atrial volume index, and E/e' over the same period. Among 1648 robust participants at Visit 5, greater left ventricular mass index and mean wall thickness, lower tissue Doppler imaging e', and higher E/e' ratio at Visit 5 were associated with progression in frailty status. Conclusions Among robust, older adults free of heart failure, progression in frailty and subclinical left ventricular remodeling and diastolic dysfunction are interrelated.

Circulating H-FABP as a biomarker of frailty in patients with chronic heart failure

Increased vulnerability to physiologic stressors, termed frailty, is a common occurrence in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, the definite biomarkers to assess frailty in CHF patients are not known. Here, we assessed the frailty phenotype and its potential association with heart failure (HF) markers in CHF patients. We categorized controls (n = 59) and CHF patients (n = 80), the participants, into robust, pre-frail, and frail based on the cardiovascular health study (CHS) frailty index. The plasma levels of HF markers, including tumorigenicity 2 (s-ST2), galectin-3, and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), were measured and correlated with frailty phenotype and cardiac function. The levels of plasma s-ST2, galectin-3, and H-FABP were profoundly elevated in CHF patients. Conversely, the frailty index scores were significantly lower in ischemic and non-ischemic CHF patients versus controls. Of the assessed HF markers, only H-FABP was positively correlated (r2 = 0.07, P = 0.02) with the frailty score in CHF patients. Collectively, these observations suggest that circulating H-FABP may serve as a biomarker of frailty in CHF patients.

Blood RNA-Seq profiling reveals a set of circular RNAs differentially expressed in frail individuals

BACKGROUND

Frailty is an intermediate and reversible geriatric syndrome that often precedes dependence. Therefore, its identification is essential to prevent dependence. Several molecules have been proposed as biomarkers of frailty, but none of them have reached clinical practice. Recently, circular RNAs have emerged as new non-coding RNAs. Their regulatory role together with their high stability in biofluids makes them good candidates as biomarkers for various processes, but, to date, no study has characterized the expression of circRNA in frailty.

RESULTS

We studied RNA from leukocytes of 35 frails and 35 robust individuals. After RNA-Sequencing, circRNA detection was performed by CIRI2 and Circexplorer2 and differential expression analysis by DESeq2. Validation was performed by Quantitative-PCR. Linear Discriminant Analysis was performed to determine the best circRNA combination to discriminate frail from robust. In addition, CircRNA candidates were studied in 13 additional elder donors before and after a 3-month physical intervention. We found 89 differentially expressed circRNAs (p-value<0.05, FC>|1.5|) with frailty. Upregulation of hsa_circ_0007817, hsa_circ_0101802 and hsa_circ_0060527 in frail individuals was validated. The combination of hsa_circ_0079284, hsa_circ_0007817 and hsa_circ_0075737 levels showed a great biomarker value with a 95.9% probability of correctly classifying frail and robust individuals. Moreover, hsa_circ_0079284 levels decreased after physical intervention in concordance with an improvement in frailty scores.

CONCLUSIONS

This work describes for the first time a different expression pattern of circular RNA (circRNAs) between frail and robust individuals. Moreover, the level of some circRNAs is modulated after a physical intervention. These results suggest that they could be used as minimally invasive biomarkers of frailty.

Exploring cellular senescence in the musculoskeletal system: Any insights for biomarkers discovery?

The locomotor system comprises skeletal muscles and bones with active metabolism and cellular turnover. Chronic locomotor system disorders gradually arising with aging are inversely associated with the correct function of bone and muscles. Senescent cells appear more frequently in advanced ages or pathological conditions, and the accumulation of senescent cells in muscle tissue negatively correlates with muscle regeneration, which is crucial for maintaining strength and preventing frailty. Senescence in the bone microenvironment, osteoblasts, and osteocytes affects bone turnover favoring osteoporosis. It is likely that in response to injury and age-related damage over the lifetime, a subset of niche cells accumulates oxidative stress and DNA damage beyond the threshold that primes the onset of cellular senescence. These senescent cells may acquire resistance to apoptosis that, combined with the weakened immune system, results in impaired clearance of senescent cells and their accumulation. The secretory profile of senescent cells causes local inflammation, further spreading senescence in neighboring niche cells and impairing tissue homeostasis. The resulting impairment of turnover/tissue repair in the musculoskeletal system reduces the efficiency of the organ in response to environmental needs that finally lead to functional decline. Management of the musculoskeletal system at the cellular level can benefit the quality of life and reduce early aging. This work discusses current knowledge of cellular senescence of musculoskeletal tissues to conclude with biologically active biomarkers effective enough to reveal the underlying mechanisms of tissue flaws at the earliest possible.

Association of Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome with Sarcopenia and Systemic Inflammation in Pre-Frail Older Adults

Motoric cognitive risk syndrome (MCR) is defined by the presence of slow gait and subjective cognitive decline. It is well recognized as a prodrome for dementia, but the biological mechanism and trajectory for MCR are still lacking. The objective of this study was to explore the association of MCR with body composition, including sarcopenia and systemic inflammation, in pre-frail older adults in a cross-sectional study of 397 pre-frail community-dwelling older adults. Data on demographics, physical function, frailty, cognition (Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)), perceived health and depression were collected. Body composition was measured using a bioelectrical impedance analyzer. Systemic inflammatory biomarkers, such as progranulin, growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the association between MCR, body composition, sarcopenia and systemic inflammatory biomarkers. The prevalence of MCR was 14.9%. They were significantly older and there were more females, depression, functional impairment, lower education, physical activity and MoCA scores. Body fat percentage (BF%), fat mass index, fat to fat free mass ratio (FM/FFM) and sarcopenia prevalence were significantly higher in MCR. Serum GDF-15 and TNF-α levels were highest with progranulin/TNF-α and IL-10/TNF-α ratio lowest in MCR. Compared to healthy patients, MCR was significantly associated with sarcopenia (aOR 2.62; 95% CI 1.46-3.17), BF% (aOR 1.06; 95% CI 1.01-1.12), FMI (aOR 1.16; 95% CI 1.02-1.30) and FM/FFM (aOR 6.38; 95% CI 1.20-33.98). The association of IL-10 to TNF-α ratio (aOR 0.98, 95% CI 0.97-0.99) and IL-10 (aOR 2.22, 95% CI 0.05-0.98) with MCR were independent of sarcopenia and BF%. Longitudinal population studies are needed to understand the role of body fat indices and IL-10 in pre-frail older adults with MCR and trajectory to dementia.

Association between sarcopenia and frailty in elderly patients with chronic kidney disease

BACKGROUND

Frailty and sarcopenia are prevalent in chronic kidney disease (CKD) populations and could increase the risk for adverse health outcomes. Few studies assess the correlation between frailty, sarcopenia and CKD in non-dialysis patients. Therefore, this study aimed to determine frailty-associated factors in elderly CKD stage I-IV patients, expected to early identify and intervene in the frailty of elderly CKD patients.

METHODS

A total of 774 elderly CKD I-IV patients (>60 years of age) recruited from 29 clinical centers in China between March 2017 and September 2019 were included in this study. We established a Frailty Index (FI) model to evaluate frailty risk and verified the distributional property of FI in the study population. Sarcopenia was defined according to the criteria of the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to assess the associated factors for frailty.

RESULTS

Seven hundred seventy-four patients (median age 67 years, 66.0% males) were included in this analysis, with a median estimated glomerular filtration rate of 52.8 mL/min/1.73 m² . The prevalence of sarcopenia was 30.6%. The FI exhibited a right-skewed distribution. The age-related slope of FI was 1.4% per year on a logarithmic scale (r²  = 0.706, 95% CI 0.9, 1.8, P < 0.001). The upper limit of FI was around 0.43. The FI was related to mortality (HR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.00, 1.12, P = 0.041). Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that sarcopenia, advanced age, CKD stage II-IV, low level of serum albumin and increased waist-hip ratio were significantly associated with high FI status, while advanced age and CKD stage III-IV were significantly associated with for median FI status. Moreover, the results from the subgroup were consistent with the leading results.

CONCLUSIONS

Sarcopenia was independently associated with an increased risk for frailty in elderly CKD I-IV patients. Patients with sarcopenia, advanced age, high CKD stage, high waist-hip ratio and low serum albumin level should be assessed for frailty.

Frailty Syndrome as a Transition from Compensation to Decompensation: Application to the Biomechanical Regulation of Gait

Most gait parameters decrease with age and are even more importantly reduced with frailty. However, other gait parameters exhibit different or even opposite trends for aging and frailty, and the underlying reason is unclear. Literature focuses either on aging, or on frailty, and a comprehensive understanding of how biomechanical gait regulation evolves with aging and with frailty seems to be lacking. We monitored gait dynamics in young adults (19-29 years, n = 27, 59% women), middle-aged adults (30-59 years, n = 16, 62% women), and non-frail (>60 years, n = 15, 33% women) and frail older adults (>60 years, n = 31, 71% women) during a 160 m walking test using the triaxial accelerometer of the Zephyr Bioharness 3.0 device (Zephyr Technology, Annapolis, MD, USA). Frailty was evaluated using the Frail Scale (FS) and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). We found that in non-frail older adults, certain gait parameters, such as cadence, were increased, whereas other parameters, such as step length, were decreased, and gait speed is maintained. Conversely, in frail older adults, all gait parameters, including gait speed, were decreased. Our interpretation is that non-frail older adults compensate for a decreased step length with an increased cadence to maintain a functional gait speed, whereas frail older adults decompensate and consequently walk with a characteristic decreased gait speed. We quantified compensation and decompensation on a continuous scale using ratios of the compensated parameter with respect to the corresponding compensating parameter. Compensation and decompensation are general medical concepts that can be applied and quantified for many, if not all, biomechanical and physiological regulatory mechanisms of the human body. This may allow for a new research strategy to quantify both aging and frailty in a systemic and dynamic way.

Comparison of the oxidative profiles before and after revascularization in peripheral arterial disease: a pilot study

Reactive and highly reactive oxygen species (ROS and hROS) produced by white blood cells are essential for innate immunity; however, they may cause oxidative stress in the host. We developed systems for simultaneously monitoring ROS and hROS, i.e., superoxide radicals (O2•-) and hypochlorite ions (OCl-) secreted from stimulated white blood cells in a few microliters of whole blood. We previously reported on the evaluation of healthy volunteers' blood using the developed system; however, whether patients' blood can be assessed remains unclear. Here, we report a pilot study of 30 cases (28 patients) with peripheral arterial disease, in whom we measured the ROS and hROS levels before and approximately one month after endovascular treatment (EVT) using the system (CFL-H2200) that we developed. At approximately the same time points, physiological indices of blood vessels, oxidative stress markers, and standard clinical parameters in the blood were also monitored. The ankle-brachial index, a diagnostic tool for peripheral arterial disease, was significantly improved after EVT (p<0.001). The ROS-hROS ratio, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hematocrit levels were decreased after EVT (p<0.05), while triglyceride and lymphocyte levels were increased after EVT (p<0.05). The correlations between the study parameters were also analyzed.

Neutrophil-to-leukocyte ratio and admission glycemia as predictors of short-term death in very old elderlies with lobar intracerebral hemorrhage

BACKGROUND

The incidence of spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH) is highest in very old elderlies (≥75 years). The increasing use of antithrombotic drugs is shifting the epidemiology of SICH towards predominance of lobar subtype, suggesting an incremented propensity of bleeding associated with underlying cerebral amyloid angiopathy. With population aging and antithrombotic use, a parallel raise of proportion of lobar SICH is occurring. Improvement of prognostication in this specific age group and SICH type is needed. Routine blood biomarkers can contribute to prediction of short-term mortality after SICH.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to investigate the contribution of routine blood biomarkers for short-term mortality (30-days) in elderly patients with lobar SICH.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of consecutive 130 patients with ≥ 75 years and lobar SICH. The outcome was 30-day mortality. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate whether admission routine biomarkers can be used as predictors.

RESULTS

The case fatality was 40.8%. Admission glycaemia level, neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and mean platelet volume were significantly different between groups (p = 0.001, p = 0.024, p = 0.038, respectively). There was no significant difference in all other routine biomarkers. On multivariate analysis, admission higher mean BG level (odds ratio [OR]: 1.010, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.001-1.019, p = 0.026) and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (OR: 1.070, 95% CI: 1.008-1.136, p = 0.027) emerged as predictors.

CONCLUSION

In very old patients with lobar SICH, higher BG level and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio are associated with increased risk of short-term death.

A global perspective on risk factors for frailty in community-dwelling older adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Frailty has become an important determinant of a series of adverse health outcomes. We explored the risk factors for frailty in older adults in the community from a global perspective and explore whether there are ethnic differences in these risk factors.

METHODS

The systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022323342) was searched using six electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PsycINFO (EBSCO) and CINAHL (EBSCO) from inception to October 2021. We assessed study eligibility by inclusion and excluded criteria. Cohort studies included were assessed according to the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Cross-sectional studies were assessed by the bias risk evaluation standard recommended by the Agency for Health care Research and Quality. The results were reported by a narrative synthesis and pooled analyses. Statistical analyses were performed in Review Manager 5.3 software.

RESULTS

We reviewed 10870 studies, and 62 studies were included. The results showed a significant association between multidomain risk factors and the frailty of global older adults, including demographic factors, health-related factors, and physical factors. Marital status, depression, risk of malnutrition, history of falls and disease-related symptoms are also risk factors for frailty among older people in Asia.

CONCLUSION

Multiple domain factors were associated with frailty among older people around the world. Compared with the rest of the world, Asian populations are exposed to more risk factors for frailty. Therefore, health care providers should consider the characteristics of risk factors for frailty in this region when formulating intervention measures related to frailty.

Implementation of Telemonitoring in Health Care: Facilitators and Barriers for Using eHealth for Older Adults with Chronic Conditions

Purpose

The retrospective study used a hybrid design aimed to a) describe the implementation process of telemonitoring from stakeholders' perspectives and b) identify facilitators and barriers perceived by the care team.

Patients and Methods

Qualitative interview data were analyzed using manifest inductive qualitative content analysis to describe what was perceived as barriers and what facilitated the implementation. Participating healthcare professionals recruited from a multi-professional care team in Sweden. Overall, 14 healthcare professionals comprising 8 assistant nurses, 3 nurses, 1 physiotherapist, 1 occupational therapist, and one general practitioner participated in five interviews.

Results

Four categories were derived from the interview analysis: previous experience with digital technology, the need for preparation before implementation, perceptions of using telemonitoring in daily practice from the patient's perspective, and perceptions of the relevance and reasons for applying telemonitoring from the care team's perspective. The identification of stakeholders and the need to plan carefully when proposing the introduction of telemonitoring systems into work practices are both crucial.

Conclusion

The attitudes of healthcare professionals can be a significant factor in the acceptance and efficiency of the use of telemonitoring in practice. Therefore, implementing new technology in healthcare should involve healthcare professionals at an early stage to gain common understanding.

Translational research into frailty from bench to bedside: Salivary biomarkers for inflammaging

Frailty is a complex physiological syndrome associated with adverse ageing and decreased physiological reserves. Frailty leads to cognitive and physical disability and is a significant cause of morbidity, mortality and economic costs. The underlying cause of frailty is multifaceted, including immunosenescence and inflammaging, changes in microbiota and metabolic dysfunction. Currently, salivary biomarkers are used as early predictors for some clinical diseases, contributing to the effective prevention and treatment of diseases, including frailty. Sample collection for salivary analysis is non-invasive and simple, which are paramount factors for testing in the vulnerable frail population. The aim of this review is to describe the current knowledge on the association between frailty and the inflammatory process and discuss methods to identify putative biomarkers in salivary fluids to predict this syndrome. This study describes the relationship between i.-inflammatory process and frailty; ii.-infectious, chronic, skeletal, metabolic and cognitive diseases with inflammation and frailty; iii.-inflammatory biomarkers and salivary fluids. There is a limited number of previous studies focusing on the analysis of inflammatory salivary biomarkers and frailty syndrome; hence, the study of salivary fluids as a source for biomarkers is an open area of research with the potential to address the increasing demands for frailty-associated biomarkers.

Effects of systemic inflammation and frailty on survival in elderly cancer patients: Results from the INSCOC study

Background

Frailty and systemic inflammation are parameters, which are easy to evaluate, can be used to predict disease outcomes, and are potentially modifiable. The combination of frailty and inflammation-based data may help identify elderly cancer patients predisposed to adverse clinical outcomes. The aim of this study was to examine the association of systemic inflammation and frailty at admission, and to determine whether these risk factors interact and may predict the survival of elderly cancer patients.

Methods

A prospective Investigation on Nutrition Status and Clinical Outcome of Common Cancers (INSCOC) with 5,106 elderly cancer patients admitted from 2013 through 2020 was included in this study. The primary marker of inflammation was the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), with the reference group having NLR<3, which indicated no inflammation. Frailty was assessed using the FRAIL scale, and patients with≥3 positives out of a total of five components were assumed to be frail. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. We classified participants according to the presence (or absence) of frailty and high inflammation and assessed their association with overall survival using the Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographic, tumor, and treatment factors.

Results

Among the 5,106 patients enrolled in the study, 3396 individuals (66.51%) were male and the mean( ± SD) age at diagnosis was 70.92( ± 5.34). Over a median of 33.5 months follow-up, we observed 2,315 deaths. Increasing NLR was associated with frailty (compared with NLR<3, odds ratio=1.23, 95%CI=1.08-1.41 for NLR≥3). An NLR≥3 and frailty independently predicted the overall survival [hazard ratio(HR)=1.35, 95%CI=1.24-1.47 and HR=1.38, 95%CI=1.25-1.52, respectively). Patients with both frailty and NLR≥3 had the lowest overall survival(HR=1.83, 95%CI=1.59-2.04) than patients with no risk factors. The mortality rate increased with the presence of the frailty components.

Conclusions

Systemic inflammation was positively associated with frailty. Frail elderly cancer patients with elevated systemic inflammation had low survival rate.

Outcomes of octogenarians and nonagenarians with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteremia: a multicenter retrospective study

BACKGROUND

P. aeruginosa bacteremia is a common and severe infection carrying high mortality in older adults. We aimed to evaluate outcomes of P. aeruginosa bacteremia among old adults (≥ 80 years).

METHODS

We included the 464/2394 (19%) older adults from a retrospective multinational (9 countries, 25 centers) cohort study of individuals hospitalized with P. aeruginosa bacteremia. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate risk factors for 30-day mortality among older adults.

RESULTS

Among 464 adults aged ≥ 80 years, the mean age was 84.61 (SD 3.98) years, and 274 (59%) were men. Compared to younger patients, ≥ 80 years adults had lower Charlson score; were less likely to have nosocomial acquisition; and more likely to have urinary source. Thirty-day mortality was 30%, versus 27% among patients 65-79 years (n = 894) and 25% among patients < 65 years (n = 1036). Multivariate analysis for predictors of mortality among patients ≥ 80 years, demonstrated higher SOFA score (odds ratio [OR] 1.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-1.51, p < 0.001), corticosteroid therapy (OR 3.15, 95% CI: 1.24-8.01, p = 0.016) and hospital acquired P. aeruginosa bacteremia (OR 2.30, 95% CI: 1.33-3.98, p = 0.003) as predictors. Appropriate empirical therapy within 24 h, type of definitive anti-pseudomonal drug, and type of regimen (monotherapy or combination) were not associated with 30-day mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

In older adults with P. aeruginosa bacteremia, background conditions, place of acquisition, and disease severity are associated with mortality, rather than the antimicrobial regimen. In this regard, preventive efforts and early diagnosis before organ failure develops might be beneficial for improving outcomes.

Methods of Assessing Frailty in the Critically Ill: A Systematic Review of the Current Literature

INTRODUCTION

As new treatments have become established, more frail pre-ICU patients are being admitted to intensive care units (ICUs); this is creating new challenges to provide adequate care and to ensure that resources are allocated in an ethical and economical manner. This systematic review evaluates the current standard for assessing frailty on the ICU, including methods of assessment, time point of measurements, and cut-offs.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted on MEDLINE, Clinical Trials, Cochrane Library, and Embase. Randomized and non-randomized controlled studies were included that evaluated diagnostic tools and ICU outcomes for frailty. Exclusion criteria were the following: studies without baseline assessment of frailty on ICU admission, studies in paediatric patients or pregnant women, and studies that targeted very narrow populations of ICU patients. Eligible articles were included until January 31, 2021. Methodological quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. No meta-analysis was performed, due to heterogeneity.

RESULTS

N = 57 articles (253,376 patients) were included using 19 different methods to assess frailty or a surrogate. Frailty on ICU admission was most frequently detected using the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) (n = 35, 60.3%), the Frailty Index (n = 5, 8.6%), and Fried's frailty phenotype (n = 6, 10.3%). N = 22 (37.9%) studies assessed functional status. Cut-offs, time points, and manner of baseline assessment of frailty on ICU admission varied widely. Frailty on ICU admission was associated with short- and long-term mortality, functional and cognitive impairment, increased health care dependency, and impaired quality of life post-ICU discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

Frailty assessment on the ICU is heterogeneous with respect to methods, cut-offs, and time points. The CFS may best reflect frailty in the ICU. Frailty assessments should be harmonized and performed routinely in the critically ill.

Frailty biomarkers under the perspective of geroscience: A narrative review

Cellular and molecular aging biomarkers might contribute to identify at-risk individuals for frailty before overt clinical manifestations appear. Although studies on the associations of aging biomarkers and frailty exist, no investigation has gathered this information using a structured framework for identifying aging biomarkers; as a result, the evidence on frailty and aging biomarkers is diffuse and incomplete. Therefore, this narrative review aimed to gather information on the associations of the hallmarks of aging and frailty under the perspective of geroscience. The literature on human studies on this topic is sparse and mainly composed of cross-sectional investigations performed in small study samples. The main putative aging biomarkers associated to frailty were: mitochondrial DNA copy number (genomic instability and mitochondrial dysfunction), telomere length (telomere attrition), global DNA methylation (epigenetic alterations), Hsp70 and Hsp72 (loss of proteostasis), IGF-1 and SIRT1 (deregulated nutrient-sensing), GDF-15 (mitochondrial dysfunction, cellular senescence and altered intercellular communication), CD4 + and CD8 + cell percentages (cellular senescence), circulating osteogenic progenitor (COP) cells (stem cell exhaustion), and IL-6, CRP and TNF-alpha (altered intercellular communication). IGF-1, SIRT1, GDF-15, IL-6, CRP and TNF-alpha presented more evidence among these biomarkers, highlighting the importance of inflammation and nutrient sensing on frailty. Further longitudinal studies investigating biomarkers across the hallmarks of aging would provide valuable information on this topic.

Frailty-Diagnostik in verschiedenen AINS-Settings

Das Vorliegen eines sog. Frailty-Syndroms („Gebrechlichkeit“) ist für den postoperativen Verlauf ein entscheidender Faktor. So kommt es, auch durch eine zunehmende Fokussierung auf die patientenzentrierte Versorgung, zu einer erhöhten Nachfrage nach Instrumenten, die den Patient*innenstatus umfassender beurteilen und Krankheitsverläufe vorhersagen können. Der Beitrag stellt die 3 führenden Modelle zur Frailty-Diagnostik vor.

Hypoalbuminemia is associated with 30-day mortality in hip fracture patients independently of Body Mass Index

The aim of this study was to assess the possible association between P-Albumin and 30-day mortality in hip fracture patients. The study is based on information from a database of hip fracture patients, established and collected at Bispebjerg University Hospital (Copenhagen, Denmark). This database includes all femoral neck (DS720), pertrochanteric (DS721) and subtrochanteric fractures (DS722) admitted to Bispebjerg Hospital between 1996 and 2012. We further identified all surgically treated hip fracture patients aged >60 years with an available P-Albumin at admission. 1856 patients were eligible for inclusion in this study (73.7% female, 26.3% male). 11.8% of these had died within 30 days. Differences between continuous variables were tested using unpaired t-tests while differences in the distribution of categorical variables were tested using chi square tests. After adjusting for co-variates in a logistic regression model, the association between P-Albumin and 30-day mortality remained increased, (OR 1.09, 95% CI 1.05;1.11 (p < 0.0001)). This study shows an increased 30-day mortality risk among surgically treated hip fracture patients with decreasing levels of P-Albumin even after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, CCI and fracture type. Routine screening of patients for hypoalbuminemia at hospital admission may be beneficial in the management of hip fracture patients.

Association between serum insulin-like growth factor 1 and locomotive syndrome in community-dwelling older people

Background

Locomotive syndrome (LS) is a condition in which mobility decreases, and it is known as a risk factor for elderly persons needing care in connection with sarcopenia and frailty. Prevention or delay of the onset of these diseases is important for preventing the need for care, and identification of biomarkers as indicators for appropriate intervention is useful. The present study aimed to clarify whether the serum insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) level, which has been reported to be related to sarcopenia and frailty, is related to LS.

Methods

The study participants were 133 elderly people living in a rural area in Japan. LS was assessed using Locomo-25, which is a self-administered questionnaire, and LS was defined as a Locomo-25 score ≥ 7 points. Serum IGF-1 and albumin levels were measured. A self-completed medical history questionnaire was used.

Results

On multiple linear regression analysis, age, IGF-1, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis were significantly associated with the Locomo-25 score. The receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis of the IGF-1 level showed a threshold value of 82.0 ng/mL for discriminating non-LS and LS. The logistic regression analysis adjusted for osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and the propensity score estimated from sex, age, and BMI showed that the odds ratio (OR) of the IGF-1 level for LS was 1.019 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.002–1.039; p = 0.027), and the OR of IGF-1 ≤ 82 ng/mL for LS was 2.275 (95% CI 0.993–5.324; p = 0.052).

Conclusions

The present findings suggest that osteoporosis and osteoarthritis were associated with early LS, and a decrease of the serum IGF-1 level was a significant independent factor for early LS.

Biomarkers of Frailty: miRNAs as Common Signatures of Impairment in Cognitive and Physical Domains

The past years have seen an increasing concern about frailty, owing to the growing number of elderly people and the major impact of this syndrome on health and social care. The identification of frail people passes through the use of different tests and biomarkers, whose concerted analysis helps to stratify the populations of patients according to their risk profile. However, their efficiency in prognosis and their capability to reflect the multisystemic impairment of frailty is discussed. Recent works propose the use of miRNAs as biological hallmarks of physiological impairment in different organismal districts. Changes in miRNAs expression have been described in biological processes associated with phenotypic outcomes of frailty, opening intriguing possibilities for their use as biomarkers of fragility. Here, with the aim of finding reliable biomarkers of frailty, while considering its complex nature, we revised the current literature on the field, for uncovering miRNAs shared across physical and cognitive frailty domains. By applying in silico analyses, we retrieved the top-ranked shared miRNAs and their targets, finally prioritizing the most significant ones. From this analysis, ten miRNAs emerged which converge into two main biological processes: inflammation and energy homeostasis. Such markers, if validated, may offer promising capabilities for early diagnosis of frailty in the elderly population.

Chronotropic Response and Heart Rate Variability before and after a 160 m Walking Test in Young, Middle-Aged, Frail, and Non-Frail Older Adults

The frailty syndrome is characterized by a decreased capacity to adequately respond to stressors. One of the most impaired physiological systems is the autonomous nervous system, which can be assessed through heart rate (HR) variability (HRV) analysis. In this article, we studied the chronotropic response (HR and HRV) to a walking test. We also analyzed HRV indices in rest as potential biomarkers of frailty. For this, a 160 m-walking test and two standing rest tests (before and after the walking) were performed by young (19−29 years old, n = 21, 57% women), middle-aged (30−59 years old, n = 16, 62% women), and frail older adults (>60 years old, n = 28, 40% women) and non-frail older adults (>60 years old, n = 15, 71% women), classified with the FRAIL scale and the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). Frequency domain parameters better allowed to distinguish between frail and non-frail older adults (low-frequency power LF, high-frequency power HF (nu), LF/HF ratio, and ECG-derived respiration rate EDR). Frail older adults showed an increased HF (nu) and EDR and a reduced LF (nu) and LF/HF compared to non-frail older adults. The increase in HF (nu) could be due to a higher breathing effort. Our results showed that a walk of 160 m is a sufficient cardiovascular stressor to exhibit an attenuated autonomic response in frail older adults. Several HRV indices showed to be potential biomarkers of frailty, being LF (nu) and the time required to reach the maximum HR the best candidates.

Frailty in Aging and the Search for the Optimal Biomarker: A Review

In the context of accelerated aging of the population worldwide, frailty has emerged as one of the main risk factors that can lead to loss of self-sufficiency in older people. This syndrome is defined as a reduced state of physiological reserve and functional capacity. The main diagnostic tools for frailty are based on scales that show deficits compared to their clinical application, such as the Fried frailty phenotype, among others. In this context, it is important to have one or more biomarkers with clinical applicability that can objectively and precisely determine the degree or risk of frailty in older people. The objective of this review was to analyze the biomarkers associated with frailty, classified according to the pathophysiological components of this syndrome (inflammation, coagulation, antioxidants, and liver function, among others). The evidence demonstrates that biomarkers associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, skeletal/cardiac muscle function, and platelet function represent the most promising markers of frailty due to their pathophysiological association with this syndrome. To a lesser extent but with the possibility of greater innovation, biomarkers associated with growth factors, vitamins, amino acids, and miRNAs represent alternatives as markers of this geriatric syndrome. Likewise, the incorporation of artificial intelligence represents an interesting approach to strengthening the diagnosis of frailty by biomarkers.

Upregulation of cluster of differentiation 36 mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells correlates with frailty severity in older adults

BACKGROUND

Aging-associated frailty has been connected to low-grade chronic inflammation and also to progressive monocytic activation. CD36 (cluster of differentiation 36, platelet glycoprotein 4 or fatty acid translocase) has been shown to induce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and to activate macrophage connected inflammation. This study aims to examine whether the expression of CD36 is up-regulated among frail older adults.

METHODS

The demographic data, Fried Frailty Index, metabolic and inflammatory parameters of our observational study were obtained from the comprehensive geriatric assessment programme of a hospital-based outpatient department. The mRNA isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was used to determine the levels of CD36, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and CXC chemokine ligand-10 (CXCL10) mRNAs with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

A total of 189 older adults (58% female) were included in the analysis, and the mean age was 77.19 ± 6.12 years. The numbers of participants who fitted in the groups of robust, pre-frail, and frail were 46, 106, and 37, respectively. Our data showed that CD36 mRNA expression levels in PBMCs were the highest in the frail group (1.25 ± 0.53 in robust, 2.13 ± 1.02 in pre-frail, and 2.78 ± 1.15 in frail group, P < 0.001). Further regression analyses revealed that CD36 mRNA levels were positively correlated with both the pre-frail and frailty status in the univariate analysis (both P's < 0.001). What might suggest something worthy of further investigation is that, with potential confounders being adjusted for, CD36 remained as an independent factor that positively correlated with the pre-frail and frailty status in the multivariable analysis (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

CD36 mRNA levels in PBMCs in robust older adults are significantly lower than in pre-frail and in frail. Our findings suggest that CD36 mRNA levels in PBMCs may be considered a potential biomarker for frail severity.

Improving the Identification of Frailty in Long-Term Care Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE

To compare the capacity of blood myostatin concentration and physical, cognitive, and affective function tests to predict frailty among long-term care (LTC) residents.

METHODS

This cross-sectional analysis used baseline data from three randomized controlled trials involving 260 older adults in 14 LTC centers. Serum myostatin levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Frailty, physical fitness, cognitive and affective functions were assessed using validated tests and scales.

RESULTS

The Timed Up and Go, gait speed, 6-minute walk, and Berg Balance Scale had excellent capabilities in identifying frail individuals in accordance with Fried's Frailty Phenotype (FFP). The best tests for identifying frailty in accordance with the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) were Timed Up and Go and Berg Balance Scale. For the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), the best tests were Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (QoL-AD) and Goldberg Anxiety. Myostatin, along with physical, cognitive, and affective function tests, improved the capability of the hand grip, arm-curl, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Goldberg Anxiety, Goldberg Depression, and QoL-AD to identify frailty according to FFP, while myostatin improved CFS-defined frailty identification by the hand grip, arm-curl, 6-minute walk test, Berg Balance Scale, 30-second chair-stand, gait speed, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Goldberg Anxiety, and De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale.

CONCLUSION

Among LTC residents, serum myostatin was associated with being frail according to FFP and CFS. However, this measure was less discriminating of frailty than physical fitness tests (for FFP and CFS) and affective function parameters (for TFI). However, evaluated concurrently with physical, cognitive, and affective parameters, myostatin improved the capabilities of these measures to predict CFS-defined frailty.

Association of plasma gelsolin with frailty phenotype and mortality among octogenarian community-dwelling men: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Biomarkers are needed for frailty, a common phenotype often associated with muscle loss in older people. Plasma gelsolin (pGSN) is a protein largely synthesized and secreted by skeletal muscle.

AIMS

To investigate whether pGSN could be a biomarker of the frailty phenotype and predict mortality.

METHODS

A homogenous cohort of males (born 1919-1934, baseline n = 3490) has been followed since the 1960s. In 2010/11, frailty phenotypes by modified Fried criteria were assessed. pGSN was measured in a convenience subset (n = 469, mean age 83) and re-measured in survivors (n = 127) in 2017. Mortality through December 31, 2018 was retrieved from national registers. Regression models were used for analyses.

RESULTS

Of 469 males, 152 (32.4%) were robust, 284 (60.6%) prefrail, and 33 (7.0%) frail in 2010/11. There was a graded (p = 0.018) association between pGSN (mean 58.1 ug/mL, SD 9.3) and frailty. After multivariable adjustment, higher pGSN levels were associated with lower odds of having contemporaneous phenotypic prefrailty (OR per 1 SD 0.73, 95% CI 0.58-0.92) and frailty (OR per 1 SD 0.70, 95% CI 0.44-1.11). By 2018, 179 males (38.2%) had died, and higher baseline pGSN predicted a lower 7-year mortality rate (HR per 1 SD 0.85, 95% CI 0.72-1.00). pGSN concentrations in 2010/11 and 2017 were correlated (n = 127, r = 0.34, p < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

Higher baseline pGSN concentrations were associated with a persistently robust phenotype and lower mortality rate over 7 years in a cohort of octogenarian males with high socioeconomic status and may be a promising laboratory biomarker for the development of a frailty phenotype.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Ischemia-Modified Albumin for Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The diagnostic usefulness of ischemia-modified albumin in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has been questioned. The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to see how accurate ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) was in diagnosing ACS in patients admitted to emergency departments (EDs). We searched for relevant literature in databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. Primary studies that reliably reported on patients with symptoms suggestive of ACS and evaluated IMA on admission to emergency departments were included. The QUADAS-2 tool was used to assess the risk of bias in the included research. A total of 4,761 patients from 19 studies were included in this systematic review. The sensitivity and specificity were 0.74 and 0.40, respectively, when the data were pooled. The area under the curve value for IMA for the diagnosis of ACS was 0.75, and the pooled diagnostic odds ratio value was 3.72. Furthermore, ACS patients with unstable angina had greater serum IMA levels than those with non-ischemic chest pain. In contrast to prior meta-analyses, our findings suggest that determining whether serum IMA levels are effective for diagnosing ACS in the emergency department is difficult. However, the accuracy of these findings cannot be ascertained due to high heterogeneity between studies.

Salivary Proteome, Inflammatory, and NETosis Biomarkers in Older Adult Practitioners and Nonpractitioners of Physical Exercise

Since aging has been associated with increased production of inflammatory biomarkers, the ability to monitor older adults repeatedly is highly desirable, and saliva is an interesting biofluid for the search of biomarkers, as it is easily accessible in a noninvasive manner. However, given the incipient knowledge of salivary biomarkers in aging and its relationship to physical exercise, the present study is aimed at evaluating the protein expression and the levels of inflammatory and NETosis biomarkers in the saliva of practitioners (PE) and nonpractitioners (NPE) of physical exercise older adults. Six (6) practitioner and 4 nonpractitioner older adults were enrolled in this study. Unstimulated whole saliva was collected for analysis of the proteome by label-free mass spectrometry, as well as of the inflammatory status by evaluation of C-reactive protein (CRP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and cytokines (TNF-α, interleukin- (IL-) 1β, and IL-8), while NETosis was assessed by myeloperoxidase (MPO) and neutrophil elastase. Regarding oral health, the decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMF-T) index, bleeding on probing, suppuration, and probing depth measurement (mm) were evaluated. In addition, functional capacity was investigated using the General Physical Fitness Index (GPFI). In relation to the proteome analysis, 93 and 143 proteins were found exclusively in the PE and NPE groups, respectively; 224 proteins were common to both groups. Among these proteins, 10 proteins showed statistical difference ( $p<0.05$ ) between the groups: alpha-2-macroglobulin, component 3 of the complement, serotransferrin, and protein soluble in brain acid 1 were less expressed, while lactotransferrin, alpha-amylase 1, S100-A8, S100-A9, lactoperoxidase, and galectin-3 binding protein were more expressed in the PE group. No differences between groups were observed in the analysis of inflammatory and NETosis biomarkers. This study shows the potential utility of saliva for detecting protein biomarkers in a noninvasive biological sample of the elderly population.