Search

As healthspan and lifespan research breakthroughs have become more commonplace, the need for valid, practical markers of biological age is becoming increasingly paramount. The accessibility and affordability of biological age predictors that can reveal information about mortality and morbidity risk, as well as remaining years of life, has profound clinical and research implications. In this review, we examine 5 groups of aging biomarkers capable of providing accurate biological age estimations. The unique capabilities of these biomarkers have far reaching implications for the testing of both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical interventions designed to slow or reverse biological aging. Additionally, the enhanced validity and availability of these tools may have increasingly relevant clinical value. The authors of this review explore those implications, with an emphasis on lifestyle modification research, and provide an overview of the current evidence regarding 5 biological age predictor categories: Telomere length, composite biomarkers, DNA methylation “epigenetic clocks,” transcriptional predictors of biological age, and functional age predictors.

Background: The concept of frailty was originally created to explain why individuals of the same age have differing risk of disease, and it has since been found to be negatively associated with outcomes for a wide range of medical conditions, including cardiovascular disease and cardiac procedures. Although numerous risk scores and assessment tools have been proposed, opportunities for practical assessment of frailty remain limited. In this pilot study, we examine the feasibility of using routine follow-up of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) for assessment of frailty. Methods: From September 2017 through March 2018, 49 consecutive patients seen in CIED clinic were enrolled. Among the frailty assessments performed at the clinic visit included a 4-meter walk time, FRAIL scale calculation, Rockwood Frailty score assessment by another treating provider, mini-cog assessment, and analysis of daily activity measures on the CIED. Results: Among the three device manufacturers of patients’ CIEDs, only Boston Scientific released analyzable activity time series data. On nine patients in whom daily activity data could be analyzed, there was no difference in mean daily activity (148.3 ± 31.9 vs. 100.1 ± 25.1 min/day, p = .27) between patients with and without an abnormal frailty or cognitive assessment, although interestingly, those with an abnormal assessment had a higher standard deviation of activity per day (52.6 ± 5.9 vs. 31.4 ± 4.7 min/day, p = .03). Conclusion: It is possible that a higher variation in daily activity over the course of a year could be a better indicator of frailty or cognitive impairment than average daily activity.

Aim: To study the prevalence and cumulative incidence of arrhythmias in the general population of adults aged 60 and older over a 6-year period. Study Design and Setting: Data were taken from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care (SNAC), a national, longitudinal, multidisciplinary study of the general elderly population (defined as 60 years of age or older). A 12-lead resting electrocardiography (ECG) was performed at baseline and 6-year follow-up. Results: The baseline prevalence of atrial fibrillation (AF) was 4.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = [4.5%, 5.5%]), and other arrhythmias including ventricular premature complexes (VPCs), supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), and supraventricular extrasystole (SVES) were seen in 8.4% (7.7%, 9.0%) of the population. A first- or second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block was found in 7.1% of the population (95% CI = [6.5%, 7.7%]), and there were no significant differences between men and women in baseline arrhythmia prevalence. The 6-year cumulative incidence of AF was 4.1% (95% CI = [3.5%, 4.9%]), or 6.9/1,000 person-years (py; 95% CI = [5.7, 8.0]). The incidence of AF, other arrhythmias, AV block, and pacemaker-induced rhythm was significantly higher in men in all cohorts except for the oldest. Conclusion: Our data highlight the prevalence and incidence of arrhythmias, which rapidly increase with advancing age in the general population. open access

Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of using remote monitoring systems (RMS) in monitoring health status (e.g., vital signs, symptom distress) in older adults (≥55) with chronic heart failure (HF). Method: Twenty-one patients (52.4% women, mean age 73.1 ± 9.3) were trained to measure and transmit health data with an RMS. Data transmissions were tracked for 12 weeks. Results: All participants initiated use of RMS within 1 week; 71%, 14%, and 14% of patients transmitted daily health data 100%, ≥75%, and