Metabolomics, inflammatory biomarkers now available in Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

    Wednesday, June 9, 2021

    Researchers now have access to metabolomics and inflammatory biomarker data linked to frailty following analyses of 10,000 blood samples collected from participants in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA).

    The latest data release is the result of a collaborative $4-million research program involving the Canadian Frailty Network (CFN), the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging, Metabolon, Inc. and the CLSA.

    The next CLSA data access deadline is September 8, 2021. Researchers can now apply for access to all available data from Baseline and Follow-up 1, including:

    • TNF-alpha and IL-6 (Baseline)
    • Metabolomics (Baseline)

    “On behalf CFN, I am proud to support the latest biomarker release that will enable Canadian researchers to further our understanding of frailty, and the many risk factors associated with it,” said Dr. John Muscedere, scientific director and CEO of the Canadian Frailty Network. “This is an important step towards enhancing available research on frailty and supporting our most vulnerable populations.”

    Frailty biomarkers have the potential to shed light on why some people become frail and offer insight into the underlying mechanisms leading to frailty. They also have the potential complement clinical frailty evaluation and aid in diagnosis and assessment of severity, risk and prognosis.

    “We are grateful to the Canadian Frailty Network for its support of this important initiative,” said Dr. Parminder Raina, the lead principal investigator of the CLSA and the scientific director of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging. “Researchers now have access to metabolomics and inflammatory biomarkers alongside genetics and other biomarkers, and longitudinal data that encompasses physical, social and psychological health, allowing for complex investigation of the risk factors of frailty.”

    “We are thrilled to be a part of this consortium leveraging metabolomics data to understand healthy aging and the trajectories of issues related to frailty,” said Greg Michelotti, PhD, scientific director of biology at Metabolon. “In contrast to an individual’s genes that do not change over time, one’s metabolism is dynamic. It integrates genetic, environmental, and dietary factors to provide a unique and powerful readout of aging profiles. We are excited to deploy our state-of-the-art technology to help understand healthy vs. unhealthy aging comprehensively.”

    More than one million older Canadians are medically frail. This translates to over 25 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 65–84 years, and over 50 per cent over the age of 85. By 2025, it is estimated that more than two million Canadians will be living with frailty. Frailty also impacts family and friend caregivers and places large burdens on health and social care systems to meet the growing demand.

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