Aging, Author Interviews, Frailty, Infections / 18.11.2023
Study Finds Toxoplasmosis Infection Associated with Frailty
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Hira Mohyuddin, PGY-2
Psychiatry Residency Training Program
The George Washington University
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?
Response: Frailty has become increasingly significant as the global population grows older, as this syndrome is linked with a higher mortality and morbidity in aging. Causes contributing to frailty are poorly understood, but it seems that the role of inflammation is very likely.
While other chronic infections were shown to precipitate and perpetuate inflammation that contributes to the development of frailty, no prior study has previously focused on possible links between Toxoplasma gondii and geriatric frailty. Benefiting from a collaboration with Spanish and Portuguese researchers, we have now tested, for the first time to our knowledge, this possible association.
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