A complex system approach to metrics of aging for identifying personalised interventions

ongoing

The goal of LETMEAGE is to develop innovative methodologies for longitudinal aging metrics and the identification of personalised preventive interventions aimed at extending the healthspan and well-being in older age. The proposed framework views the aging individual as a complex system in which the dimensions of aging - from cellular mechanisms to disease and physical and cognitive function - interact dynamically with each other and with external factors (e.g., socioeconomic, environmental). Specifically, mathematical and statistical methods for longitudinal data will be extended and implemented to reflect clinically accurate and biologically detailed geroscience models. The methodology proposed in LETMEAGE will enable the estimation of subject-specific determinants of the aging process - including their impact on the lifespan- and personalised predictions. Additionally, tailored microsimulation methods will be developed to perform data-driven scenario analyses, estimating the long-term expected gain of hypothetical preventive interventions targeting risk factors for accelerated aging. Following methodological validation through simulations and real-data applications from two longitudinal population-based studies, all methods for estimation, model diagnostics, predictions, and scenario analyses will be integrated into an open-source software package. LETMEAGE is a highly interdisciplinary project combining applied mathematics, scientific computing, biostatistics, aging, and geroscience toward a more holistic approach to aging and geroscience research. By providing robust and advanced analytical methods, LETMEAGE will lead to the efficient utilization of high-quality longitudinal data to address the dramatic demographic increase of the older population. Ultimately, LETMEAGE will support the implementation of a personalized preventive framework toward healthy aging.