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A mitochondrial root to accelerated ageing and frailty

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A discovery metabolomic study was performed in a large cohort of adults to identify circulating biomarkers of frailty. The study found that carnitine and vitamin E pathways were dysregulated in frail compared with non-frail participants. These findings point to dysregulated mitochondrial metabolism as a potential root of age-related frailty.

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Fig. 1: Proposed mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction in individuals with frailty.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Luigi Ferrucci & Marta Zampino

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  1. Luigi Ferrucci
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  2. Marta Zampino
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Correspondence to Luigi Ferrucci.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Ferrucci, L., Zampino, M. A mitochondrial root to accelerated ageing and frailty. Nat Rev Endocrinol 16, 133–134 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-020-0319-y

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