Frailty- and Age-Associated Diseases: Possibilities For Intervention
Description:... The average human lifespan has increased at a breath-taking rate in the last century. The major problem of gerontology and geriatrics today is to promote healthspan and happiness in the elderly population. A milestone in geriatrics was the definition of frailty as a geriatric syndrome with a defined phenotype. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of aging is of paramount importance to promote rational interventions to delay the onset of frailty and of age-associated diseases.
The EU has shown that in 2020 30% of the over-65 populations in Europe are disabled. This leads to huge costs in terms of individual wellbeing as well as in social and economic burden. We have calculated that in Spain alone the cost of disability is 18,000 million Euros per year. Any effort to understand the process of healthy aging and to promote interventions to delay frailty (and hence disability), is of paramount importance. The goal of this Research Topic is to gather cutting-edge research work and review knowledge on the basic mechanisms of aging with a clear aim to translate them into actions to promote healthy aging. It has been known for the last twenty years that four simple lifestyle changes, i.e., quit smoking, exercising, taking five helpings of fruits or vegetables per day, and drinking one glass of wine daily, can prolong lifespan by as much as fourteen years. The goal of this Topic is to put knowledge together in order to foster interventions to promote happy and healthy years in the life of the elderly population.
Show description