Kelsea R LaSorda1, Theresa Gmelin1, Allison L Kuipers1, Robert M Boudreau1, Adam J Santanasto1, Kaare Christensen2, Sharon W Renner1, Mary K Wojczynski3, Stacy L Andersen4, Stephanie Cosentino5, Nancy W Glynn1. 1. Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2. Department of Public Health, Unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. 3. Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri. 4. Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts. 5. Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fatigability is a construct that measures whole-body tiredness anchored to activities of a fixed intensity and duration; little is known about its epidemiology and heritability. METHODS: Two generations of family members enriched for exceptional longevity and their spouses were enrolled (2006-2009) in the Long Life Family Study (LLFS). At Visit 2 (2014-2017, N = 2,355) perceived physical fatigability was measured using the 10-item self-administered Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS), along with demographic, medical, behavioral, physical, and cognitive risk factors. RESULTS: Residual genetic heritability of fatigability was 0.263 (p = 6.6 × 10-9) after adjustment for age, sex, and field center. PFS physical scores (mean ± SD) and higher physical fatigability prevalence (% PFS ≥ 15) were greater with each age strata: 60-69 (n = 1,009, 11.0 ± 7.6, 28%), 70-79 (n = 847, 12.5 ± 8.1, 37%), 80-89 (n = 253, 19.3 ± 9.9, 65.2%), and 90-108 (n = 266, 28.6 ± 9.8, 89.5%), p < .0001, adjusted for sex, field center, and family relatedness. Women had a higher prevalence of perceived physical fatigability compared to men, with the largest difference in the 80-89 age strata, 74.8% versus 53.5%, p < .0001. Those with greater body mass index, worse physical and cognitive function, and lower physical activity had significantly higher perceived physical fatigability. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived physical fatigability is highly prevalent in older adults and strongly associated with age. The family design of LLFS allowed us to estimate the genetic heritability of perceived physical fatigability. Identifying risk factors associated with higher perceived physical fatigability can inform the development of targeted interventions for those most at risk, including older women, older adults with depression, and those who are less physically active.
BACKGROUND: Fatigability is a construct that measures whole-body tiredness anchored to activities of a fixed intensity and duration; little is known about its epidemiology and heritability. METHODS: Two generations of family members enriched for exceptional longevity and their spouses were enrolled (2006-2009) in the Long Life Family Study (LLFS). At Visit 2 (2014-2017, N = 2,355) perceived physical fatigability was measured using the 10-item self-administered Pittsburgh Fatigability Scale (PFS), along with demographic, medical, behavioral, physical, and cognitive risk factors. RESULTS: Residual genetic heritability of fatigability was 0.263 (p = 6.6 × 10-9) after adjustment for age, sex, and field center. PFS physical scores (mean ± SD) and higher physical fatigability prevalence (% PFS ≥ 15) were greater with each age strata: 60-69 (n = 1,009, 11.0 ± 7.6, 28%), 70-79 (n = 847, 12.5 ± 8.1, 37%), 80-89 (n = 253, 19.3 ± 9.9, 65.2%), and 90-108 (n = 266, 28.6 ± 9.8, 89.5%), p < .0001, adjusted for sex, field center, and family relatedness. Women had a higher prevalence of perceived physical fatigability compared to men, with the largest difference in the 80-89 age strata, 74.8% versus 53.5%, p < .0001. Those with greater body mass index, worse physical and cognitive function, and lower physical activity had significantly higher perceived physical fatigability. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived physical fatigability is highly prevalent in older adults and strongly associated with age. The family design of LLFS allowed us to estimate the genetic heritability of perceived physical fatigability. Identifying risk factors associated with higher perceived physical fatigability can inform the development of targeted interventions for those most at risk, including older women, older adults with depression, and those who are less physically active.
Authors: Caterina Rosano; Vijay K Venkatraman; Jack Guralnik; Anne B Newman; Nancy W Glynn; Lenore Launer; Christopher A Taylor; Jeff Williamson; Stephanie Studenski; Marco Pahor; Howard Aizenstein Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2010-03-26 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Catherine A Richardson; Nancy W Glynn; Luigi G Ferrucci; Dawn C Mackey Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2014-09-04 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Nancy W Glynn; Adam J Santanasto; Eleanor M Simonsick; Robert M Boudreau; Scott R Beach; Richard Schulz; Anne B Newman Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2014-12-31 Impact factor: 5.562
Authors: Gillian Gresham; Sydney M Dy; Vadim Zipunnikov; Ilene S Browner; Stephanie A Studenski; Eleanor M Simonsick; Luigi Ferrucci; Jennifer A Schrack Journal: Cancer Date: 2018-02-08 Impact factor: 6.860
Authors: Yujia Susanna Qiao; Jaroslaw Harezlak; Kyle D Moored; Jacek K Urbanek; Robert M Boudreau; Pamela E Toto; Marquis Hawkins; Adam J Santanasto; Jennifer A Schrack; Eleanor M Simonsick; Nancy W Glynn Journal: Med Sci Sports Exerc Date: 2022-06-24
Authors: Stacy L Andersen; Benjamin Sweigart; Nancy W Glynn; Mary K Wojczynski; Bharat Thyagarajan; Jonas Mengel-From; Stephen Thielke; Thomas T Perls; David J Libon; Rhoda Au; Stephanie Cosentino; Paola Sebastianion Journal: J Alzheimers Dis Date: 2021 Impact factor: 4.472
Authors: Rebecca W Cohen; Alexa J Meinhardt; Theresa Gmelin; Yujia Susanna Qiao; Kyle D Moored; Ryan D Katz; Sharon W Renner; Nancy W Glynn Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2021-03-05 Impact factor: 5.562
Authors: Brett Davis; Yi-Hsuan Liu; James Stampley; G Craig Wood; Diane C Mitchell; Gordon L Jensen; Xiang Gao; Nancy W Glynn; Christopher D Still; Brian A Irving Journal: Geriatrics (Basel) Date: 2021-04-15
Authors: Sharon W Renner; Todd M Bear; Patrick J Brown; Stacy L Andersen; Stephanie Cosentino; Theresa Gmelin; Robert M Boudreau; Jane A Cauley; Yujia Susanna Qiao; Eleanor M Simonsick; Nancy W Glynn Journal: J Am Geriatr Soc Date: 2021-01-20 Impact factor: 7.538
Authors: Marlies Feenstra; Nynke Smidt; Barbara C van Munster; Nancy W Glynn; Sophia E de Rooij Journal: BMC Geriatr Date: 2020-07-08 Impact factor: 3.921
Authors: Yujia Susanna Qiao; Theresa Gmelin; Sharon W Renner; Robert M Boudreau; Sarah Martin; Mary K Wojczynski; Kaare Christensen; Stacy L Andersen; Stephanie Cosentino; Adam J Santanasto; Nancy W Glynn Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2021-09-13 Impact factor: 6.053
Authors: Sharon W Renner; Yujia Qiao; Theresa Gmelin; Adam J Santanasto; Robert M Boudreau; Jeremy D Walston; Thomas T Perls; Kaare Christensen; Anne B Newman; Nancy W Glynn Journal: Aging Clin Exp Res Date: 2021-07-01 Impact factor: 3.636
Authors: Min Kyeong Jang; Sue Kim; Chang Gi Park; Eileen G Collins; Lauretta T Quinn; Nancy W Glynn; Carol Estwing Ferrans Journal: Health Qual Life Outcomes Date: 2021-07-12 Impact factor: 3.186
Authors: Qu Tian; Rebecca Ehrenkranz; Andrea L Rosso; Nancy W Glynn; Lana M Chahine; James Hengenius; Xiaonan Zhu; Caterina Rosano Journal: J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci Date: 2022-04-01 Impact factor: 6.591