Functional Limitation

Domains

• ADL: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, feeding, continence.
• IADL: shopping, cooking, housework, medication management, finance, transportation.

Assessment

• Katz ADL, Lawton IADL, Barthel Index, SPPB (Short Physical Performance Battery).
• Handgrip strength, gait speed, and chair-rise tests function as proxies.

Drivers

• Sarcopenia and muscle-power loss.
• Cardiorespiratory-fitness decline.
• Cognitive decline.
• Sensory decline (vision, hearing).
• Balance and vestibular dysfunction.
• Comorbid disease burden.

Prevention and intervention

• Resistance training — most-evidenced intervention.
• Aerobic training.
• Multi-domain lifestyle (Mediterranean diet, cognitive engagement, social connection).
• Hearing aids — often overlooked, high-leverage.
• Fall prevention and home modification.

Longevity relevance

The endpoint that patients actually care about. Compression of morbidity — extending healthspan closer to lifespan — is the practical goal of geroscience.

More on this topic

• Compression of Morbidity — Concept.
• Healthspan vs Lifespan — Concept.
• Organismal Resilience — Concept.
• CALERIE — Caloric Restriction in Non-Obese Humans — Trial.

Related entries

Sarcopenia, Frailty, Grip strength, Gait speed.