Bridging Age and Activity: The Impact of Biological Age on Rehabilitation Outcomes
Geriatric inpatients undergoing rehabilitation often face a double-edged sword: high levels of sedentary behavior (SB) and insufficient physical activity (PA). Recent research has sought to unravel the link between a patient's biological age—determined by blood biomarkers—and their activity levels during rehabilitation. Biological age, a concept capturing the physiological state of an individual's body as opposed to their chronological age, has been shown to forecast various health outcomes. The study leverages the innovative SenoClock-BloodAge tool to predict biological age, aiming to understand its association with patients' engagement in physical and sedentary activities during their recovery period.
Conducted at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the study observed 111 geriatric inpatients, utilizing inertial sensors to accurately measure their activity. The findings reveal a clear correlation: a higher biological age is associated with increased sedentary behavior, specifically time spent non-upright, and indicates a trend towards reduced physical activity, measured through stepping time and sit-to-stand transitions. This insight opens new pathways for personalized rehabilitation strategies, suggesting that understanding a patient's biological age could help tailor more effective recovery plans, potentially reducing sedentary behavior and encouraging physical activity.
This research underscores the significance of biological age as a factor in rehabilitation success. By incorporating biological age into patient assessments, healthcare professionals can allocate resources more efficiently and devise rehabilitation plans that cater to the unique needs of each individual. Such personalized approaches could not only enhance patient outcomes but also advance the field of geriatric care, highlighting the pivotal role of geroscience in shaping future healthcare practices.
Article Information
The association between blood biological age at rehabilitation admission and physical activity during rehabilitation in geriatric inpatients: RESORT
Published on Geroscience. Jessica K Lu et al.
Abstract
Geriatric rehabilitation inpatients have high levels of sedentary behaviour (SB) and low levels of physical activity (PA). Biological age predicted by blood biomarkers is indicative of adverse outcomes. The objective was to determine the association between blood biological age at rehabilitation admission and levels of SB and PA during rehabilitation in geriatric inpatients. Inpatients admitted to geriatric rehabilitation wards at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (Melbourne, Australia) from October 22, 2019, to March 29, 2020, in the REStORing health of acute unwell adulTs (RESORT) observational cohort were included. Blood biological age was predicted using SenoClock-BloodAge, a hematological ageing clock. Patients wore an inertial sensor to measure SB and PA. Logistic regression analyses were conducted. A total of 111 patients (57.7% female) with mean age 83.3 ± 7.5 years were included in the analysis. The mean blood biological age was 82.7 ± 8.4 years. Patients with 1-year higher blood biological age had higher odds of having high SB measured as non-upright time greater than 23 h/day (odds ratio (OR): 1.050, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.000-1.102). Individuals having 1-year higher age deviation trended towards lower odds of having high levels of PA measured as stepping time greater than 7.4 min/day (OR: 0.916, CI: 0.836-1.005) and as greater than 19.5 sit-to-stand transitions/day (OR: 0.915, CI: 0.836-1.002). In conclusion, higher biological age was associated with higher levels of SB and trended towards lower PA. Incorporating blood biological age could facilitate resource allocation and the development of more tailored rehabilitation plans.
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