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Measuring Frailty in HIV-infected Individuals. Identification of Frail Patients is the First Step to Amelioration and Reversal of Frailty
Published on: July 24, 2013
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Frailty, Inflammation and Immunosenescence
Tamas Fulop1, Janet McElhaney, Graham Pawelec
1Geriatrics Division, Department of Medicine, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Que., Canada.
Interdisciplinary Topics in Gerontology and Geriatrics
|August 25, 2015
Summary
Frailty is a complex condition lacking a universal definition. This chapter explores immune system alterations and inflammation, investigating their potential role as causes of frailty syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Immunology
- Physiology
Background:
- Frailty is an evolving concept with no universally accepted definition or measurement protocol.
- Its biological causes remain poorly defined, though several physiological systems are implicated.
- Existing data suggest immune dysregulation and inflammation may contribute to frailty.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe immune/inflammatory alterations observed in individuals with frailty.
- To explore the putative causal relationships between these immune changes and the frailty state.
Main Methods:
- Review of experimental data and longitudinal studies.
- Analysis of immune/inflammatory alterations in frailty.
- Investigation of functional reserve alterations in key physiological systems.
Main Results:
- Circumstantial evidence points to dysregulation in neuroendocrine, musculoskeletal, metabolic, and immune/inflammatory systems.
- Longitudinal studies provide some support for immune dysregulation and inflammation as causes of frailty.
- A definitive causal relationship between immune factors and frailty has not yet been established.
Conclusions:
- Immune dysregulation and inflammation are significant areas of investigation in frailty research.
- Further research is needed to establish a clear causal link between immune alterations and the development of frailty syndrome.
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