VITALiTY Team

Catastrophic disability is the rapid onset of disability and loss of independence in three or more basic activities of daily living. The six leading causes are stroke, congestive heart failure, pneumonia and influenza, ischemic heart disease, cancer, and hip fracture. Within the next 25 years, the number of people aged 65 years and older in British Columbia will double, resulting in a significant burden on the health care system. Novel strategies are needed to reduce both the risk of catastrophic disability, and the related increased care needs. This award funds the creation of a research team focused on developing interventions that identify and minimize risk for catastrophic disability and promote healthy aging in older adults. The team’s objectives are to determine which inflammatory markers predict catastrophic disability, relate these markers to other identified risk factors, and develop targeted, effective interventions.