title: Biomarkers of aging.
abstract: This article presents a conceptual discussion of some aspects involved in biomarkers of aging. A biomarker of aging is a biological parameter of an organism that either alone or in some multivariate composite will, in the absence of disease, better predict functional capability at some late age than will chronological age. The reasons for undertaking biomarker research, criteria for putative biomarkers, measurement and assessment of putative biomarkers, and the new initiative by the National Institute on Aging in biomarker research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: American Association for Advances in Health Care Research, Silver Spring, Maryland 20904.
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Sprott
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008136:Longevity; D008322:Mammals / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers