Association between Oxidative Stress and Frailty in an Elderly German Population: Results from the ESTHER Cohort Study

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) and inflammatory biomarkers have been postulated to be important factors in the development of age-related diseases. While causes of frailty are complex and multidimensional based on the interaction of genetic, biological, physical, and environmental factors, the biological basis of frailty has been difficult to establish. Objective: In this study, we aimed to assess the possible association between different OS and inflammatory biomarkers and frailty. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis was performed among 2,518 subjects participating in a large population-based cohort study on aging conducted in Germany. Frailty was assessed as proposed by Fried et al. [J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2001;56:M146-M156]. OS biomarkers, biological antioxidant potential (BAP), derivate of reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROM) and total thiol levels (TTL), and an established biomarker of inflammation C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured by spectrophotometry and immunoturbidimetry. Logistic regression models were performed to assess the relationship between the OS biomarkers and frailty status. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated to quantify the associations. Results: Mean levels of d-ROM, TTL, and CRP differed between frail and non-frail participants (p values