Article about the use of intrinsic capacity to help define healthspan including a funded ARPA project that’s main purpose is to pave the way for longevity drugs.
A couple of exerpts below:
Intrinsic capacity was formally defined in 2015 by the World Health Organization as part of its healthy aging initiative, which in part aims to move doctors and scientists away from focusing on disease and toward maximizing and maintaining older adults’ functional abilities.
Experts derive someone’s intrinsic capacity score from their performance on five “subdomains”: cognition, locomotion (strength and mobility), sensory capacity (vision and hearing), psychological well-being and vitality (overall energy levels and resilience to physical stressors)
Researchers have shown that intrinsic capacity correlates with older adults’ risk of disability and mortality. But experts say the real clinical value will come from following a person’s intrinsic capacity over time. That could enable doctors to identify any signs of decline early on and take steps to stop or slow the trajectory.