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Review
. 2025 Aug 15;26(16):7888.
doi: 10.3390/ijms26167888.

Biomarkers and Clinical Evaluation in the Detection of Frailty

Catherine Devitt  1 , Devon Patel  1 , Rustin Mahboubi Ardakani  2 , Shaji Poovathoor  1 , Zhaosheng Jin  1 , Daryn Moller  1
Affiliations
Review

Biomarkers and Clinical Evaluation in the Detection of Frailty

Catherine Devitt et al. Int J Mol Sci. .

Abstract

Frailty is a complex biological process that is associated with adverse outcomes in community-dwelling and hospitalized patients. While clinical evaluation is the current gold standard for screening and diagnosis, such an approach is not without its limitations (such as personnel and resource requirement). In this review, we will discuss prospective biomarkers for frailty. Opportunistic and deliberate radiological testing could provide important information that complements clinical frailty evaluation. Novel biochemical panels may yield additional methods for frailty screening in the future. It is known that early frailty intervention could lead to better outcomes for patients. Integration of electronic medical records, laboratory and radiological results, as well as clinical informatics infrastructure could result in augmented clinical decision-making and more optimized healthcare resources utilization.

Keywords: biomarker; diagnosis; frailty; inflammation; metabolomics; oxidative stress; screening.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. This study did not require or receive any funding.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Summary of frailty pathophysiology.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Summary of frailty recognition and outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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