# Project 1: Frailty And Comorbidity As Cause And Consequence Of Aging

> **NIH NIH U19** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2021 · $568,879

## Abstract

PROJECT 1: FRAILTY AND COMORBIDITY AS CAUSE AND CONSEQUENCE OF AGING
ABSTRACT
A fundamental gap exists in the translation of data from inbred animals in highly controlled laboratory
environments to the experience of aging among genetically diverse humans living in complex environments.
Companion dogs offer the unique opportunity to examine aging in a cohort that has differing genetic and
environmental backgrounds, diseases that are individually diagnosed and treated, and extensive
documentation of the medical progression through aging and causes of death. The overarching goal of this
U19 Research Program is to understand the genetic and environmental determinants of healthy aging in
companion dogs. As a critical step in achieving this goal, this Project aims to 1) define and standardize
component measurements for three new axes of canine aging based on comorbidity, frailty and chronic
inflammation using measurements translated from human populations that are feasible for measurement in a
veterinary general practice; and 2) identify relationships among these three new aspects, and canine survival
and healthy aging. To accomplish these goals, a full cohort of 10,000 companion dogs (the Longitudinal Study
Population), their owners and veterinarians will be recruited to collect data on the dogs' health including
demographics, medical history, basic physical measures and recorded diagnoses from veterinary medical
records, as well as human lifestyle and dog care from owner questionnaires. A subset of dogs will be used to
develop and test new procedures for assessing physical parameters, including gait speed and stair climbing,
as well as non-standard measurements for body condition and obesity. Additional data will be collected on a
select sample of 800 dogs (the Precision Cohort) to include an annual physical examination (body weight and
size, body condition score, temperature, pulse, respiration), laboratory assays (CBC, biochemical profile and
urine analysis), inflammatory status, and cognitive and mobility measurements needed to evaluate the three
new phenotypic axes. Analyses will be conducted to test associations between developed exposure variables
and survival including pathway outcomes such as frailty. This Project is critical to the overall mission of the
Program, and will work in close synergy with Core D and all other Projects to test hypotheses regarding how
healthy aging is influenced by the environment (Core D), genes (Project 2), molecular biomarkers and
pathways (Project 3), and rapamycin treatment (Project 4). This Project has the potential not only to provide
better methods to assist veterinarians and owners in keeping dogs healthy, but also to identify unique features
of dog longevity and functionality that will be of the greatest value in translation to human populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10213628
- **Project number:** 5U19AG057377-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Kate Elizabeth Creevy
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $568,879
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2023-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10213628

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10213628, Project 1: Frailty And Comorbidity As Cause And Consequence Of Aging (5U19AG057377-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10213628. Licensed CC0.

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