Predictor of Frailty & Death Revealed

A person's blood level of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) may predict overall risk of frailty and death from any cause 10 to 15 years before symptoms appear.

Mitochondria are structures within cells often referred to as “power houses” because they generate most of cells' energy. Unlike other cell structures, they contain their own DNA — separate from that enclosed in the nucleus — in the form of two to 10 small, circular chromosomes that code for 37 genes necessary for mitochondrial function. There are 10 to thousands of mitochondria per cell, depending on a cell's energy needs.