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Biomarkers of ageing and frailty may predict COVID-19 severity
Kailyn J Wanhella1, Carlos Fernandez-Patron1
1Department of Biochemistry, College of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada.
Insights
Biomarkers can identify individuals at high risk for severe COVID-19, particularly older and frail patients. These markers aid in detection, treatment, and monitoring of disease progression and therapeutic response.
Area of Science:
- * Infectious Diseases and Immunology
- * Biomarker Discovery and Validation
- * Gerontology and Public Health
Background:
- * Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to a global pandemic with significant mortality.
- * While many infections are mild, a subset of patients develop severe illness and fatal complications, highlighting the need for risk stratification.
- * Ageing and comorbidities contribute to frailty, characterized by reduced disease tolerance, increasing vulnerability to severe COVID-19 outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To review and comment on identified biomarkers for enhancing COVID-19 detection, protection, and treatment strategies.
- * To identify biomarkers indicative of increased vulnerability to severe COVID-19 in older and frail populations.
- * To explore the role of disease tolerance biomarkers in predicting resistance to COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- * Comprehensive review of scientific literature on COVID-19 biomarkers.
- * Analysis of identified biomarkers associated with severe COVID-19 outcomes.
- * Investigation into the mechanistic link between frailty, ageing, comorbidities, and disease tolerance.
Main Results:
- * A subset of COVID-19 biomarkers has been identified that predict increased vulnerability to severe illness in older and frail patients.
- * Biomarkers associated with ageing and frailty correlate with COVID-19 severity.
- * Biomarkers of disease tolerance show potential in predicting resistance to COVID-19, though socio-economic factors also play a crucial role.
Conclusions:
- * Biomarker identification is crucial for managing high-risk individuals and monitoring therapeutic responses in COVID-19.
- * Ageing and frailty biomarkers can predict severe COVID-19, informing targeted interventions.
- * While biomarkers offer insights, non-biomolecular factors like healthcare access significantly influence COVID-19 outcomes.
Abstract:
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the novel coronavirus, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) - the culprit of an ongoing pandemic responsible for the loss of over 3 million lives worldwide within a year and a half. While the majority of SARS-CoV-2 infected people develop no or mild symptoms, some become severely ill and may die from COVID-19-related complications. In this review, we compile and comment on a number of biomarkers that have been identified and are expected to enhance the detection, protection and treatment of individuals at high risk of developing severe illnesses, as well as enable the monitoring of COVID-19 prognosis and responsiveness to therapeutic interventions. Consistent with the emerging notion that the majority of COVID-19 deaths occur in older and frail individuals, we researched the scientific literature and report the identification of a subset of COVID-19 biomarkers indicative of increased vulnerability to developing severe COVID-19 in older and frail patients. Mechanistically, increased frailty results from reduced disease tolerance, a phenomenon aggravated by ageing and comorbidities. While biomarkers of ageing and frailty may predict COVID-19 severity, biomarkers of disease tolerance may predict resistance to COVID-19 with socio-economic factors such as access to adequate health care remaining as major non-biomolecular influencers of COVID-19 outcomes.
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