Better physical and mental function linked to less disability
Among 746 older adults who later died, higher capacity scores were linked to lower disability odds from around 13.6 years before death.
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
An observational cohort study included 746 community-dwelling US adults aged 70 or older at enrollment who died by December 2024; 64% were women. All initially managed four basic daily activities without help. Researchers assessed intrinsic capacity, a measure of physical and mental abilities, using 25 items, usually every 18 months for up to 306 months. Monthly interviews asked about needing help with shopping, housework, meals, medications or finances.
Analyses of 743 participants aligned observations by time before death. Higher capacity was linked to lower disability odds from around 13.6 years before death, with a stronger link as death approached. In the final four years, each 10-point higher score was associated with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.56 to 0.58; values below one indicate lower odds.
Why it matters
The authors suggested that intrinsic capacity could serve as an early marker of declining independence in later life and guide the development of targeted interventions.
Caveats
The observational design cannot show that higher capacity caused less disability. Participants were predominantly White and initially independent in basic daily activities; people expected to live less than 12 months were excluded.
The paper
Yale University
The Lancet Healthy Longevity, May 1, 2026, Open access
Presented at GSA 2025 as an abstract
