Biomarkers and Clinical Evaluation in the Detection of Frailty
Catherine Devitt, Devon Patel, Rustin Mahboubi Ardakani, Shaji Poovathoor, Zhaosheng Jin, Daryn H. Moller
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.