Longitudinal Associations Between Biomarkers and Frailty in Older Adults: Protocol for a Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Aging Research
• Biomarker Discovery
• Clinical Epidemiology

Background:

• Frailty is a significant clinical syndrome in older adults, characterized by reduced reserves and increased vulnerability.
• Current frailty detection methods are challenging due to subtle symptoms and time constraints.
• Longitudinal studies are vital for understanding frailty's progression and identifying early biological indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically identify and map biomarkers (inflammatory, hormonal, metabolic, genetic, imaging) associated with frailty over time in older adults.
• To include studies on older adults with comorbidities where frailty is an outcome.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of current research on frailty biomarkers.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search across 6 major databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase).
• Inclusion of longitudinal studies assessing objectively measured biomarkers and frailty using validated tools.
• Consideration of studies in English, Korean, or Chinese, regardless of publication date.

Main Results:

• An exploratory search identified 3315 unique records, indicating a large volume of relevant literature.
• The review is planned for completion by December 2026.
• The identified literature will be synthesized to map biomarker associations with frailty.

Conclusions:

• This review will identify longitudinal biomarkers that may precede frailty, aiding personalized clinical applications.
• Findings will highlight potential early detection markers for frailty in aging populations.
• Limitations include reliance on observational data, methodological diversity, and challenges in establishing causality.