A new international study has found that measuring a person’s overall physical and mental abilities—called intrinsic capacity—may help doctors predict who is more likely to experience memory and thinking problems in the future.
This could lead to better ways of spotting early signs of cognitive decline and helping people stay healthier as they age.
Intrinsic capacity is a concept created by the World Health Organization. It focuses on what people can still do, rather than what they can’t.
It combines five important parts of health: how well someone moves, how they feel mentally, how well they can think and remember, how good their vision and hearing are, and their overall vitality—such as their strength and breathing ability. Together, these areas provide a full picture of healthy aging.
This study was co-led by researchers from several countries, including Professor Graciela Muniz-Terrera from Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is an expert in aging and health. The study was published in the journal GeroScience.
Researchers looked at data from 731 older adults in the United Kingdom who were part of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging. All participants were between the ages of 60 and 80 and had normal thinking and memory at the start of the study.
The team gave each person an “intrinsic capacity” score based on their physical strength, walking speed, balance, sleep, mental health, memory, vision, hearing, lung function, and grip strength.
Four to five years later, the researchers found that people with lower intrinsic capacity scores were more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment. This is a condition where memory and thinking skills start to get worse, but it is not as serious as dementia. People with higher intrinsic capacity were less likely to develop these problems.
The study also found that older age and lower education levels increased the risk of cognitive decline. However, once intrinsic capacity was taken into account, factors like gender, physical activity, and the number of chronic illnesses did not strongly predict cognitive decline.
This suggests that intrinsic capacity may be a more accurate way to predict health changes in older adults than simply counting medical problems.
Professor Muniz-Terrera said these results support a broader view of healthy aging. “Healthy aging isn’t just about avoiding disease,” she explained. “By measuring a person’s overall abilities in different areas, we may be able to identify those at risk of memory loss sooner than with traditional methods.”
The researchers believe that in the future, intrinsic capacity could become a helpful screening tool used in regular doctor visits. It could allow for more personalized care and early interventions to help people maintain their independence and stay healthier longer.
In short, this study highlights that paying attention to overall abilities—not just diseases—can give us a better understanding of how people age and how to help them live longer, healthier lives.
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