Frailty and Sarcopenia: The potential role of an aged immune system.

Frailty and Sarcopenia: The potential role of an aged immune system.
Ageing Res Rev. 2017 Feb 18;:
Authors: Wilson D, Jackson T, Sapey E, Lord JM
Abstract
Frailty is a common negative consequence of ageing. Sarcopenia, the syndrome of loss of muscle mass, quality and strength, is more common in older adults and has been considered a precursor syndrome or the physical manifestation of frailty. The pathophysiology of both syndromes is incompletely described with multiple causes, inter-relationships and complex pathways proposed. Age-associated changes to the immune system (both immunesenescence, the decline in immune function with ageing, and inflammageing, a state of chronic inflammation) have been suggested as contributors to sarcopenia and frailty but a direct causative role remains to be established. Frailty, sarcopenia and immunesenescence are commonly described in older adults but are not ubiquitous to ageing. There is evidence that all three conditions are reversible and all three appear to share common inflammatory drivers. It is unclear whether frailty, sarcopenia and immunesenescence are separate entities that co-occur due to coincidental or potentially confounding factors, or whether they are more intimately linked by the same underlying cellular mechanisms. This review explores these possibilities focusing on innate immunity, and in particular associations with neutrophil dysfunction, inflammation and known mechanisms descr...

Source: Ageing Research Reviews - February 17, 2017 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Authors: Wilson D, Jackson T, Sapey E, Lord JM Tags: Ageing Res Rev Source Type: research