Current and emerging biomarkers of frailty in the elderly

Abstract

Ahmed Al Saedi,1,2 Jack Feehan,1,2 Steven Phu,1,2 Gustavo Duque1,2 1Australian Institute for Musculoskeletal Science (AIMSS), University of Melbourne and Western Health, St Albans, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; 2Department of Medicine, Western Health, Melbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, St Albans, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Abstract: The term “frailty” is used to describe a subset of older adults who appear weaker and more vulnerable than their age-matched counterparts, despite having similar comorbidities, demography, sex, and age. The diagnosis of frailty is usually clinical and based on specific criteria, which are sometimes inconsistent. Therefore, there is an increasing need to identify and validate robust biomarkers for this condition. In this review, we summarize current evidence on the validity and practicality of the most commonly used biomarkers for frailty, while also comparing them with new upcoming strategies to identify this condition. Keywords: frailty, biomarkers, COP cells, mesenchymal stem cells, disability, elderly

Keywords

• Frailty
• biomarkers
• COP cells
• mesenchymal stem cells
• disability
• elderly.