Intrinsic Capacity and Healthy Aging in Elderly Populations

Intrinsic capacity represents the composite of physical and mental abilities that an individual can draw upon throughout life. It encompasses domains such as cognition, locomotion, vitality, sensory function and psychological well-being. In the context of population ageing, a shift from disease-centred to function-centred paradigms has emerged, emphasising maintenance and optimisation of intrinsic capacity to preserve independence and quality of life. Declines in intrinsic capacity frequently precede frailty and disability, and are influenced by sociodemographic, lifestyle and biological factors. Healthy ageing strategies now integrate routine screening of intrinsic capacity, personalised interventions to address emerging deficits, and community-based support, with the aim of delaying care dependence and reducing healthcare burden. Multidimensional assessments capture trajectories of change across heterogeneous subgroups, revealing distinct patterns of decline that call for tailored preventive actions. Globally, the approach holds promise for informing public health policies, guiding resource allocation and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to sustain functional ability in older populations.

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Intrinsic Capacity and Healthy Aging in Elderly Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in intrinsic capacity and healthy aging in elderly populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Intrinsic capacity: The aggregate of an individual’s physical and mental abilities across multiple domains, forming the basis for functional ability in old age.

Frailty: A clinical syndrome characterised by reduced physiological reserves and increased vulnerability to stressors, often manifesting after intrinsic capacity declines.

ICOPE screening tool: A brief instrument developed by the World Health Organization to assess declines in intrinsic capacity across key domains.

Activities of daily living (ADL): Basic self-care tasks such as bathing, dressing and feeding that reflect everyday functional status.

Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL): Complex daily tasks—such as shopping, managing finances and medication—that require higher cognitive and physical function.

References

1. Multi-Trajectories of Intrinsic Capacity Decline and Their Impact on Age-Related Outcomes: A 20-Year National Longitudinal Cohort Study. Aging and Disease (2023).
2. Intrinsic capacity of older people in the community using WHO Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) framework: a cross-sectional study. BMC Geriatrics (2022).
3. Socio-demographic and lifestyle factors associated with intrinsic capacity among older adults: evidence from India. BMC Geriatrics (2022).
4. Redesigning care for older people to preserve physical and mental capacity: WHO guidelines on community-level interventions in integrated care. PLOS Medicine (2019).
5. Frailty and Intrinsic Capacity: Two Distinct but Related Constructs. Frontiers in Medicine (2019).
6. Intrinsic Capacity vs. Multimorbidity: A Function-Centered Construct Predicts Disability Better Than a Disease-Based Approach in a Community-Dwelling Older Population Cohort. Frontiers in Medicine (2021).
7. Biological Features of the Outcome-Based Intrinsic Capacity Composite Scores From a Population-Based Cohort Study: Pas de Deux of Biological and Functional Aging. Frontiers in Medicine (2022).