TY - JOUR
T1 - Frailty as a nexus between the biology of aging, environmental conditions and clinical geriatrics
AU - Ferrucci, Luigi
AU - Hesdorffer, Charles
AU - Bandinelli, Stefania
AU - Simonsick, Eleanor M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Aknowledgments: supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Chronic diseases often determine pathologic phenotypes similar to those traditionally attributed to aging, such as accelerated decline of muscle mass and increments of basic metabolic rate, suggesting that the true nature of aging is progressively increasing entropy in the face of failing homeostatic mechanisms. Aging in different animal species and in humans suggest that increasing entropy causes major problems in four domains; body composition, energetic imbalance between availability and demand, homeostatic dysregulation, and neurodegeneration. In humans, loss of integrity and function in these domains causes manifestations similar to frailty, especially if the damage is severe and/or involves multiple domains, and has catastrophic consequences, such as physical and cognitive disability. Characterizing these phenotypes, and understanding the mechanisms by which they emerge with increasing entropy is a necessary step to find interventions that can prevent, delay or moderate the effects of aging. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that may effectively modulate the aging phenotypes are actively studied and will certainly be ready in the near future. Until then, creating a "senior friendly society", that allows maximal independence but also promotes an active and healthy lifestyle may be the most cost-effective intervention to improve the quality of life in the population.
AB - Chronic diseases often determine pathologic phenotypes similar to those traditionally attributed to aging, such as accelerated decline of muscle mass and increments of basic metabolic rate, suggesting that the true nature of aging is progressively increasing entropy in the face of failing homeostatic mechanisms. Aging in different animal species and in humans suggest that increasing entropy causes major problems in four domains; body composition, energetic imbalance between availability and demand, homeostatic dysregulation, and neurodegeneration. In humans, loss of integrity and function in these domains causes manifestations similar to frailty, especially if the damage is severe and/or involves multiple domains, and has catastrophic consequences, such as physical and cognitive disability. Characterizing these phenotypes, and understanding the mechanisms by which they emerge with increasing entropy is a necessary step to find interventions that can prevent, delay or moderate the effects of aging. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions that may effectively modulate the aging phenotypes are actively studied and will certainly be ready in the near future. Until then, creating a "senior friendly society", that allows maximal independence but also promotes an active and healthy lifestyle may be the most cost-effective intervention to improve the quality of life in the population.
KW - Aging
KW - Frailty
KW - Older adults
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79959718815&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79959718815&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/BF03391612
DO - 10.1007/BF03391612
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:79959718815
SN - 0301-0422
VL - 32
SP - 475
EP - 488
JO - Public Health Reviews
JF - Public Health Reviews
IS - 2
ER -