The Pathophysiology of Frailty: Why Sex Is So Important

Although a decade has passed since the elegant theory of “inflammaging” was proposed,1 the precise pathophysiological pathways that lead to frailty, as opposed to “healthy” aging, remain elusive. Elevated inflammatory markers have been associated with frailty in cross-sectional studies of older adults.2 A leading hypothesis is that persistent low- grade inflammation causes frailty via catabolic effects of proinflammatory cytokines on muscle.3 The inflammatory milieu is also thought to influence the progression of age-related diseases, which in turn contribute to the development of frailty.
Source: Journal of the American Medical Directors Association - Category: Health Management Authors: Tags: Editorial Source Type: research