Intrinsic Capacity and Functional Mobility in Older Adults: From Tracking Decline to Proactive Geriatric Care

Mobility is one of the strongest predictors of independence, quality of life, and survival in later life. Slow gait speed, reduced balance, and loss of muscle strength often appear years before disability, falls, hospitalization, or institutional care. Intrinsic capacity, the combined physical and mental reserves of an individual, offers a framework for detecting decline early, and mobility is one of its most measurable signs. Yet clinical practice and research have mostly documented decline after it happens. This Research Topic aims to move the field from tracking decline to preventing it.Advances in geroscience, digital health, gerontechnology rehabilitation science, and geriatric medicine now make early, personalized action possible. Wearable sensors and gait analytics can detect subtle changes in mobility, an early signal of intrinsic capacity decline. Biomarkers of biological aging and sarcopenia can identify people at risk. Exercise, nutrition, pharmacological, and multicomponent interventions can slow or reverse functional loss. Many of these approaches have not been tested in routine care, and evidence on who benefits most, and when to intervene, is still limited.We welcome submissions that explore how intrinsic capacity, and functional mobility as one of its key domains, can be measured, protected, and restored in older adults. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Early markers and risk prediction of mobility decline and intrinsic capacity decline, including digital mobility outcomes, gait and balance metrics, and molecular or imaging biomarkers• Assessment and monitoring of intrinsic capacity across its domains (locomotion, vitality, cognition, sensory function, and psychological health)• Sarcopenia, frailty, and the biology of muscle and neuromuscular aging• Exercise, resistance and balance training, and multicomponent lifestyle interventions• Nutritional, pharmacological, and geroscience-based strategies to maintain strength and mobility• Fall prevention and recovery after hospitalization, fracture, or surgery• Wearables, remote monitoring, and AI-supported tools for proactive care• Mobility in the context of multimorbidity, cognitive impairment, and neurodegeneration• Implementation, equity, and access, including community and primary care models• Patient-centered outcomes, such as participation, autonomy, and quality of lifeWe encourage Original Research, Clinical Trials, Observational Studies, Systematic Reviews, Meta-analyses, Perspectives, and Community Case Studies. Studies that include diverse populations, long-term follow-up, or real-world implementation are especially welcome. Topic editors: Luiz Roberto RAMOS, Eduardo J Simoes, Eleonora d'Orsi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/87424/intrinsic-capacity-and-functional-mobility-in-older-adults-from-tracking-decline-to-proactive-geriatric-care