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Biological Frailty Index in centenarians
Beatrice Arosio1, Annalisa Geraci2, Evelyn Ferri2
1Laboratorio di Geriatria, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via Pace 9, 20122, Milan, Italy. beatrice.arosio@unimi.it.
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
|October 16, 2021
Summary
Centenarians possess remarkable biological reserves, as indicated by a low biological Frailty Index (FI). This biological FI, measuring accumulated abnormalities, suggests reserves may be underestimated by clinical frailty assessments.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Biogerontology
- Human Longevity
Background:
- Centenarians represent a unique population for studying aging.
- Assessing frailty in extreme longevity is crucial for understanding health trajectories.
- Subclinical frailty, based on biological markers, offers a novel perspective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify subclinical frailty in centenarians using a biological Frailty Index (FI).
- To compare the distribution of biological FI with previously assessed clinical FI in the same cohort.
- To investigate potential sex differences in biological FI among centenarians.
Main Methods:
- Computation of a biological Frailty Index (FI) based on accumulated biological abnormalities.
- Analysis of biological FI data from a cohort of centenarians in Northern Italy.
- Statistical comparison of biological FI between male and female participants.
Main Results:
- The median biological Frailty Index (FI) for centenarians was 0.33 (IQR 0.28-0.41).
- No significant difference in biological FI was observed between women (0.34) and men (0.32).
- The biological FI exhibited a narrower distribution compared to the clinical FI.
Conclusions:
- Centenarians demonstrate substantial biological reserves.
- Clinical assessments may underestimate the true biological resilience of centenarians.
- Biological Frailty Index provides a more sensitive measure of frailty in extreme longevity.
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