Plasma metabolomic profiling and functional disability in older adults

Functional disability is a major public health concern in older adults, predicting adverse outcomes such as hospitalization, institutionalization, and mortality. While previous studies have linked metabolomic profiles to aging-related conditions, their relationship with functional disability remains unclear.

This study examined associations between plasma metabolomic profiles and functional disability in 1450 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years from the Seniors-ENRICA 2 cohort. Disability was assessed using the Katz Index for activities of daily living (ADL disability) and the Lawton-Brody Scale for instrumental activities of daily living (IADL disability). Twenty-seven metabolites quantified by high-throughput nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy were included in the analyses. Firth logistic regression estimated cross-sectional and 5-year longitudinal associations, adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors.

Higher concentrations of tyrosine (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61-0.98), pyruvate (0.69; 0.50-0.95), and lactate (0.78; 0.61-0.98) were cross-sectionally associated with lower odds of ADL disability, whereas glycine (1.31; 1.05-1.64) and Glycoprotein A (GlycA) (1.47; 1.17-1.86) were linked to greater odds. After 5 years, higher lactate (1.17; 1.00-1.37) was associated with increased ADL disability, whereas creatinine predicted lower odds of ADL (0.80; 0.65-0.97) and IADL disability (0.68; 0.47-0.98). In incident disability analyses, higher creatinine (0.76; 0.62-0.94) and citrate (0.79; 0.66-0.94) concentrations predicted lower odds of ADL disability, while GlycA (1.36; 1.01-1.84) remained associated with higher odds of IADL disability.

These findings suggest that several plasma metabolites may serve as early biomarkers of functional decline and inform prevention strategies in older adults.