TL;DR
Get workout gear delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
A study of 12,015 older adults found that people who later experienced a cardiovascular event had worse measures of frailty, intrinsic capacity and physical health than matched controls, in some cases up to a decade before the event. The observational findings identify a possible period for closer clinical evaluation, but do not show that functional decline causes cardiovascular disease or that screening based on these measures prevents events.
A study published online September 23 in JAMA Cardiology found that older adults who later experienced cardiovascular disease (CVD) events had worse functional aging measures than matched peers as far as 10 years before an event. The results, based on 12,015 participants, point to a potentially long period when changes in frailty and physical function could prompt closer clinical attention, but they do not establish that those changes cause heart disease.
Aung Zaw Zaw Phyo of Monash University in Melbourne and colleagues analyzed participants in the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly cohort. The study included 2,403 people who experienced a CVD event and 9,612 matched controls. Researchers tracked measures of functional performance in the years leading up to events, comparing the trajectories of the two groups.
Those who later had an event had consistently higher frailty, lower intrinsic capacity and poorer physical health-related quality of life than controls. The gaps widened markedly during the five years before an event. Across the period studied, the event group showed faster deterioration in both frailty measures and steeper declines in intrinsic capacity and physical health-related quality of life.
The researchers reported similar broad patterns across components of the cardiovascular event composite, but timing varied. Differences appeared at least 10 years beforehand for heart failure and fatal coronary heart disease; divergence occurred later for myocardial infarction and stroke. The report does not provide evidence that the functional measures alone can predict which individual will have an event.
A Longer Window for Clinical Attention
The findings matter because they suggest cardiovascular risk may be accompanied by gradual changes in a person’s overall physical function well before a diagnosis or acute event. If confirmed and made useful in clinical practice, tracking frailty and physical capacity over time could help clinicians recognize when an older adult’s health is changing and consider whether further assessment is warranted.
That potential should be kept in perspective. The study describes differences between groups; it does not show that functional decline is a direct warning signal for every patient, that intervening on these measures prevents heart attacks or strokes, or that a particular screening program improves outcomes. The authors’ reference to a prolonged opportunity for evaluation and early intervention is an interpretation of the observed patterns, not a tested treatment result.
For readers, the practical message is not to treat changes in mobility or energy as proof of impending heart disease. The study supports discussion of changing function with a health professional, especially in older adults, while cardiovascular assessment still depends on a person’s full clinical picture.
frailty assessment tools for seniors
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
How Researchers Tracked Aging
The paper, titled Multidimensional Aging Trajectories Preceding Cardiovascular Events, was published in JAMA Cardiology on September 23, 2026. It used a nested case-control design within the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly cohort: researchers compared people who experienced cardiovascular events with matched participants who served as controls.
The analysis focused on several distinct measures rather than one single test. These included two frailty assessments, intrinsic capacity, and physical health-related quality of life. In the study, the measures were used to describe how functional aging changed over time; they should not be confused with a confirmed diagnostic tool for cardiovascular disease.
“Declines in functional aging markers were prominent before clinically apparent CVD.”
— Aung Zaw Zaw Phyo and colleagues, study authors
Prediction and Causation Remain Open
The analysis shows an association between poorer functional trajectories and later cardiovascular events, but it cannot establish that functional decline causes CVD. Nor does the report establish how accurately these measures predict an event for an individual, what thresholds clinicians should use, or whether acting on the changes improves health outcomes.
The supplied study summary does not detail how the findings might be affected by other health conditions, differences in care, or the cohort’s characteristics. It also does not provide enough information to determine how well the results apply to people outside the study population. The reported timing describes when group trajectories diverged, not a guaranteed lead time for any one person.
Testing Use in Routine Care
The next step is to determine whether functional measures can add useful information to existing cardiovascular assessments and whether a response to detected decline can improve outcomes. The reported study does not announce a screening recommendation or a clinical trial of an intervention. Until further evidence addresses those questions, the findings are best treated as a reason for research and closer attention to changing function, rather than a standalone basis for predicting or diagnosing heart disease.
Key Questions
What did the study find?
Participants who later experienced cardiovascular events had worse frailty, intrinsic capacity and physical health-related quality of life than matched controls, with differences evident years beforehand and widening near the event.
How long before an event did differences appear?
The researchers reported differences across the years leading up to events. For heart failure and fatal coronary heart disease, divergence was seen at least 10 years before the event; it appeared later for myocardial infarction and stroke. These are group patterns, not an individual prediction.
Does functional decline cause cardiovascular disease?
The study does not establish cause and effect. It found an association between functional aging measures and later cardiovascular events.
Can these measures predict an individual’s risk?
The report does not establish the measures’ predictive accuracy for individuals or recommend them as a standalone screening test. A person’s cardiovascular risk requires assessment of their broader health and clinical factors.
What should readers do with the findings?
The results are not a reason to assume that declining mobility or function means a heart event is imminent. Readers concerned about changes in their health can discuss them with a health professional, who can consider them alongside other information.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
