Physical Health and Function
Through the Marcus Institute’s research we are learning how older adults can maintain independence and quality of life.
Research About Maintaining Physical Function as We Age
Mobility is the most common disability among older Americans. More than 40 percent of older adults ages 65-79 have at least one disability in either self-care, household activity, or mobility. For those 80 years and older, this share rises to more than 70 percent.
Moreover, 10 percent of older adults in the community and up to 50 percent in nursing homes have frailty, which is a state of increased vulnerability resulting from a decline in function across multiple systems of the body. The "oldest old" are especially at risk of developing the condition.
Maintaining physical function as we age is key to living independently and continuing the lifestyle and activities that bring us meaning and joy.
The Marcus Institute's research into the physical health and function of older adults focuses in six main areas:
- Mobility
- Nutrition
- Arthritis
- Frailty
- Osteoporosis
- Falls
Marcus Institute Research About Maintaining Mobility and Preventing Frailty in Older Adults
The Marcus Institute's research programs are dedicated to uncovering how physical health and function of older adults impacts their quality of life, and discovering interventions to maintain physical health and function.
Marcus Institute researchers are:
- Investigating innovative methods to measure and apply frailty in various clinical and research settings
- Examining the prevalence, causes, and prevention of frailty
- Studying the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders including fractures, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia and hyperkyphosis
- Examining the role of diet and nutrition in bone and muscle health and frailty
- Conducting ground-breaking research in the use of non-invasive brain stimulation to improve mobility and balance and reduce falls among older adults
Explore this section to learn more about current research projects underway to study and improve physical health and function in older adults.
Find current research projects
Showing 35 Results
Predicting and Identifying Risk Factors for Short Time at Home in Older Adults after Hospitalization
This research aims to determine predictors of short time at home after SNF discharge among well-established frailty measures and modifiable risk factors.
Principal Investigator
READI SET GO: Researching Efficient Approaches to Delirium Identification—Sustaining Effective Translation to create Solicitation
To develop, translate, and sustain efficient approaches to delirium identification
Co-Investigator
Risk-Guided Atrial Fibrillation Surveillance in Ischemic Stroke
This research aims to evaluate contemporary practices related to the use of an Implantable Loop Recorder (ILS) following ischemic stroke. Our goal is to develop a post-stroke atrial fibrillation (AF) risk prediction model using the national Veterans Health Administration electronic health records (EHR) and externally validate the model in the Boston Medical Center Stroke Database and develop an EHR-based post-stroke AF risk estimation tool and conduct a single-arm pilot test of the EHR tool to evaluate acceptability, adoption, and validity prior to RCT testing.
K23HL151903-01A1
Principal Investigator
Synbiotic to Attenuate Resorption of the Skeleton (STARS)
Synbiotic to Attenuate Resorption of the Skeleton (STARS)
This research study aims to test the efficacy of a probiotic/prebiotic combination (“synbiotic”) on the skeleton in a clinical trial that is designed to provide mechanistic insights into the action of the symbiotic.
NIH 1R01AG079952
Principal Investigator
https://www.marcusinstituteforaging.org/join-research-study/synbiotic-attenuate…
Systemic Contribution of Age-Associated Epigenetic Mechanisms to Osteoarthritis
This research aims to identify potential new targets for Osteoarthritis therapy by identifying key age-associated biological mechanisms underlying Osteoarthritis pathogenesis. The objective of this project is to determine the role of epigenetic changes to genes in key aging pathways on Osteoarthritis.
Principal Investigator
The Gut Microbiome and Bone Microarchitecture
This research aims to test the central hypothesis that the gut microbiome is associated with BMD, microarchitecture, and strength.
Principal Investigator
Utilization and Clinical Outcomes of Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion in Older Adults with Atrial Fibrillation and Frailty
The research aims to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of left atrial appendage occlusion device compared with direct oral anticoagulants in older adults with atrial fibrillation.
Principal Investigator
Vascular Mechanisms Underlying Fragility in Older Adults
This research aims to define the contribution of vascular aging to bone loss, deterioration in bone microarchitecture, and fracture risk. We will perform high-resolution peripheral quantitative tomography (HR-pQCT) imaging of the radius and tibia in participants of the Framingham Heart Study to evaluate trabecular and cortical bone density, microarchitecture, and bone strength via finite element analysis.
Principal Investigator
Join a Research Study
tACS and Dual-Tasking Study
The goal is to determine whether non-invasive brain stimulation improves balance and walking.