A Novel Analytic Technique to Measure Associations Between Circulating Biomarkers and Physical Performance Across the Adult Life Span.
Understanding associations between circulating biomarkers and physical performance across the adult life span could aid in better describing mechanistic pathways leading to disability. We hypothesized that high concentrations of circulating biomarkers would be associated with lower functioning across study populations representing the adult life span. The data were from four intervention and two observational studies with ages ranging 22-89 years. Biomarkers assayed included inflammatory, coagulation, and endothelial function markers. Physical performance was measured either by VO2peak (studies of young and middle-aged adults) or usual gait speed (studies of older adults). Partialled (by age, body mass index, race, and sex) and weighted common correlations were calculated between biomarkers and physical performance. Homogeneity of the associations was also assessed. Interleukin-6 (weighted r = -.22), tumor necrosis factor receptor 2 (weighted r = -.19), D-dimer (weighted r = -.16), tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (weighted r = -.15), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (weighted r = -.14), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (weighted r = -.10) were all significantly inversely correlated with physical performance (p < .05). All significant correlations were homogeneous across studies. In summary, we observed consistent inverse associations between six circulating biomarkers and objective measures of physical performance. These results suggest that these serum biomarkers may be broadly applicable for detection, trajectory, and treatment monitoring of physical function across the life span or possibly for midlife predictors of functionally deleterious conditions.
Matthew.peterson@wright.edu.
Matthew J
MJ
Peterson
Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Dana K
DK
Thompson
Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development/Claude D. Pepper Older Adults Independence Center and Department of Biometry and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
Carl F
CF
Pieper
Miriam C
MC
Morey
Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development/Claude D. Pepper Older Adults Independence Center and Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
Virginia B
VB
Kraus
Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development/Claude D. Pepper Older Adults Independence Center and Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
William E
WE
Kraus
Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
Patrick
P
Sullivan
Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development/Claude D. Pepper Older Adults Independence Center and.
Gerda
G
Fillenbaum
Harvey J
HJ
Cohen
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products / Q000378:metabolism; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors / Q000097:blood
D015415:Biomarkers; D005338:Fibrin Fibrinogen Degradation Products; D015850:Interleukin-6; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors; C036309:fibrin fragment D; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor
Aging life span; Circulating biomarkers; Physical performance