Inflammatory markers and frailty in home-dwelling elderly, a cross-sectional study

• Published in: BMC geriatrics 2024-02, Vol.24 (1), p.175-11, Article 175
• Main Authors: Bålsrud, Pia, Ulven, Stine M, Christensen, Jacob J, Ottestad, Inger, Holven, Kirsten B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Ageing; Aging; Analysis; Biological markers; Biomarkers; Care and treatment; Cathepsin S; Cathepsins; Cognitive ability; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cystatin C; Diagnosis; Female; Frail Elderly; Frailty; Frailty - diagnosis; Frailty - epidemiology; Frailty Index; Gene expression; Genomes; Geriatric Assessment - methods; Geriatrics; Home-dwelling; Humans; Inflammageing; Inflammation; Inflammation - diagnosis; Inflammation - epidemiology; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Insulin-like growth factors; Interleukin 6; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Male; Medical research; Monocytes; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Older people; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; Population studies; Quality of life; Regression analysis; Risk factors; Transcriptomics; Variables; Women
• ISSN: 1471-2318; 1471-2318
• DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-04690-2

Low-grade, chronic inflammation during ageing, ("inflammageing"), is suggested to be involved in the development of frailty in older age. However, studies on the association between frailty, using the frailty index definition, and inflammatory markers are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between inflammatory markers and frailty index (FI) in older, home-dwelling adults. Home-dwelling men and women aged ≥ 70 years old, living in South-East Norway were recruited and included in a cross-sectional study. The FI used in the current study was developed according to Rockwood's frailty index and included 38 variables, resulting in an FI score between 0 and 1 for each participant. Circulating inflammatory markers (IL-6, CRP, IGF-1, cystatin C, cathepsin S, and glycoprotein Acetyls) were analyzed from non-fasting blood samples using ELISA. Whole-genome PBMC transcriptomics was used to study the association between FI score and inflammation. The study population comprised 403 elderly (52% women), with a median age of 74 years and a mean BMI of 26.2 kg/m . The mean FI score for the total group was 0.15 (range 0.005-0.56). The group was divided into a frail group (FI score ≥ 0.25) and non-frail group. After adjusting for BMI, age, sex, and smoking in the whole group, IL-6, cathepsin S, cystatin C, and Gp-acetyls remained significant associated to FI score (IL-6: 0.002, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.002, cathepsin S: 6.7e-06, 95% CI 2.44e-06, 0.00001, cystatin C: 0.004, 95% CI: 0.002, 0.006, Gp- Acetyls: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.13, p