Background: A global aging population requires focusing on the risk factors for unhealthy aging, preventive medicine, and chronic disease management. The identification of adverse health outcomes in older adults has been addressed by the characterization of frailty as a biological syndrome. In this field, oxidative stress and telomere length have been suggested as biomarkers of aging. Objective: The objective of the study was to study the association of oxidative stress, telomere length, and frailty in an old age population. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study based on 2015 data from 202 members of a cohort of older adults (n = 202; F/M gender ratio: 133/69; mean age: 69.89 ± 7.39 years). Reactive oxygen species were measured by dichlorofluorescein diacetate and lipid peroxidation by malondialdehyde. Telomere length was determined using quantitative polymerase chain reaction with SYBR Green Master Mix. Results: Statistical analysis showed an association between telomere length and frailty but no association between oxidative stress and telomere length or frailty. Conclusions: Telomere length could eventually be used as a marker to differentiate between healthy and unhealthy aging as expressed by frailty phenotype; oxidative stress seemed merely a biological process of aging.

Telomere length is inversely related to frailty in Mexican frail older adults, and tobacco consumption is the main environmental modifying factor. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1286-1292.

Background and objectives:A global aging population requires focus on the risk factors for unhealthy aging, preventive medicine, and chronic disease management. The identification of adverse health outcomes in older adults has been addressed by the characterization of frailty as a biological syndrome. On the other hand, oxidative stress and telomere length have been suggested as biomarkers of aging. Here we evaluated the association of oxidative stress, telomere length, and frailty in an old age population. Research design and methods:This was a cross-sectional study based on 2015 data from 202 members from the Cohort of Obesity, Sarcopenia and Frailty of Older Mexican Adults (n=202; gender F/M ratio: 133/69; mean age: 69.89 ± 7.39 years). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by dichlorofluorescin diacetate, and lipid peroxidation by malondialdehyde. Telomere length was determined using qPCR with SYBR Green Master Mix.