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COVID-19 mortality as a fingerprint of biological age

M Cristina Polidori1, Helmut Sies2, Luigi Ferrucci3

  • 1Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.

Ageing Research Reviews
|February 23, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disproportionately affects older individuals by targeting aging-related pathways. Biological age, not just chronological age, appears crucial for predicting COVID-19 outcomes, highlighting the need to identify frail individuals at risk.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents a global health crisis, particularly impacting the elderly population.
  • The disease's pathophysiology intersects with key aging and frailty mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the relationship between biological age and COVID-19 prognosis.
  • To emphasize the need for proactive identification of frail individuals at risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing data on COVID-19 pathophysiology and clinical manifestations.
  • Analysis of factors influencing COVID-19 prognosis, focusing on biological versus chronological age.

Main Results:

  • COVID-19 targets pathophysiological pathways commonly affected by aging and frailty.
  • Evidence suggests biological age is a more significant predictor of COVID-19 prognosis than chronological age.

Conclusions:

  • Biological age plays a critical role in COVID-19 outcomes.
  • Systematic identification of frail individuals, irrespective of age or comorbidity status, is essential for risk stratification and management.

Keywords:
Biological ageCOVID-19Corona virus disease 2019FrailtySARS-CoV-2Severe acute respiratory syndrome-corona virus 2

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