Published on: Oct 10, 2025
Researchers at the University of Adelaide have conducted the first large-scale genetic study exploring the biological basis of intrinsic capacity (IC) — a key marker of healthy ageing introduced by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015. IC reflects an individual’s overall physical and mental abilities across five domains: cognition, vitality, locomotion, sensory function, and psychological health.
The study, published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences, analyzed genetic data from over 57,000 participants in the UK Biobank (UKB) and the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Ageing (CLSA). Researchers identified 38 genetic variants across 10 genomic regions associated with IC, revealing that genetic factors account for about 20–25% of the variation in intrinsic capacity, while the rest is shaped by environmental and lifestyle influences.
This is the first study to map the genetic architecture of intrinsic capacity, said Associate Professor Azmeraw Amare, senior author and NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow at the University of Adelaide. Our findings lay the groundwork for understanding the biological mechanisms that underpin healthy ageing and could guide the development of targeted interventions to help people maintain their functional abilities as they age.
Lead author Melkamu Beyene, a Ph.D. candidate at Adelaide Medical School, explained that the identified genes are involved in essential biological processes — including metabolism, immune response, neurodegeneration, and cellular ageing — and are highly expressed in the brain, heart, muscle, and body tissues. The study also found strong links between IC and measurable health traits such as grip strength, lung function, and cognitive performance.
Professor Renuka Visvanathan, co-senior author and head of the Adelaide Geriatrics Training and Research with Aged Care Centre, emphasized that IC provides a holistic, continuous measure of health—unlike disease or disability, which represent late outcomes of ageing. These insights open the door to personalized strategies for predicting, supporting, and promoting healthy ageing trajectories.
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