Biological Frailty Index in centenarians

This study measured the subclinical frailty of centenarians by looking at the accumulation of their biological abnormalities. For this aim, a biological Frailty Index (FI) was computed in centenarians living in Northern Italy. The median value of the biological FI was 0.33 (interquartile range, IQR 0.28-0.41). The biological FI did not significantly differ between women (0.34, IQR 0.31-0.39) and men (0.32, IQR 0.26-0.43). The biological FI seems to have a narrower distribution compared to clinical FI we previously computed in the same cohort. In conclusion, our study suggests that centenarians benefit from exceptional biological reserves that might be underestimated by clinical appearances.

Automated summary

The study measured the subclinical frailty of centenarians by calculating a Biological Frailty Index (FI), showing that centenarians have narrower distribution of biological reserves without significant gender differences. The findings suggest that the exceptional biological reserves of centenarians may be underestimated in clinical assessments.