A Discussion of Traditional Geriatric Assessment versus Biological Biomarkers to Measure Aging

The authors of this paper argue for a greater use of more traditional measures of age-related frailty as the research community expands efforts to find biological biomarkers to measure the progression of aging. It is true that some groups have used weighted combinations of existing clinical tests, such as grip strength, walking speed, and so forth, to produce biomarkers of aging that are not that different in accuracy when compared to epigenetic clocks and the like. It seems likely that there is more room for long term improvement in terms of accuracy and utility on the biomarker side of the house, however.

Biological age is the concept of using biophysiological measures to more accurately determine an individual's age-related risk of adverse outcomes. Grading of the degree of frailty and measuring biomarkers are distinct methods of measuring biological age. Chronological age is rigid and fails to account for the variable effects of time on individuals. The construct of "biological age" aims to give a more ordered relation between an individual's current health state and their proximity to death. This in turn can enable a novel approach to individualizing care and potentially yield ways in which aging might be modified.

A quantitative approach to frailty yields a proxy measure of biological age that can be formulated from deficit accumulation indices and geriatric assessment. The great advantage of this approach is that it offers information that is immediate...

Source: Fight Aging! - July 26, 2021 Category: Research Authors: Reason Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs