Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41739374›Full record

ArticleGeroScience2026

Intrinsic capacity across the adult lifespan in China: baseline analysis from the nationwide longitudinal PENG ZU cohort.

Ju Cui, Yujia Gu, Jing Pang, Huafang Gao, Li-Qun Zhang, Xiaolan Wu, Junwu Dang, Juan Li, Xinyi Zhu, Senlin Luo and 20 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in GeroScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

30 authors.

Ju Cui *The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology of National Health Commission, Beijing, P.R. China.
Yujia Gu *Institute of Statistics and Big Data, Renmin University of China, Beijing, P.R. China.
Jing Pang *The Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology of National Health Commission, Beijing, P.R. China.
Huafang Gao *National Human Genetic Resources Center, National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing, P.R. China.
Li-Qun ZhangThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology of National Health Commission, Beijing, P.R. China.
Xiaolan WuInstitute of Healthy Ageing, China Research Center on Ageing, Beijing, P.R. China.
Junwu DangInstitute of Healthy Ageing, China Research Center on Ageing, Beijing, P.R. China.
Juan LiCenter on Aging Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
Xinyi ZhuCenter on Aging Psychology, CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
Senlin LuoBeijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, P.R. China.
Zhao WangDepartment of Pharmacology, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China.
Fuyi TuInstitute of Statistics and Big Data, Renmin University of China, Beijing, P.R. China.
Likun ZhangInstitute of Statistics and Big Data, Renmin University of China, Beijing, P.R. China.
Yang LiuInstitute of Statistics and Big Data, Renmin University of China, Beijing, P.R. China.
Guangyu YangInstitute of Statistics and Big Data, Renmin University of China, Beijing, P.R. China.
Qin ZhangDepartment of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
Wanxia WangThe Institute of Clinical Research and Translational Medicine, NHC Key Laboratory of Diagnosis and Therapy of Gastrointestinal Tumor, Gansu Provincial Hospital, Lanzhou, P.R. China.
Wen TianDepartment of Geriatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Clinical Research Center of Geriatric Disease, Shenyang, P.R. China.
Weimin LiBeijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Research Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Wei XiongDepartment of Geriatrics, Southwest Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliated to Army Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
Xuewei ZhangHealth Management Center, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Zhanyi LinDepartment of Geriatrics, Guangdong Provincial Geriatrics Institute, Guangdong Provincial People's Hospital, Guangdong Academy of Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, P.R. China.
Songbai ZhengGeriatric Medicine Department, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, P.R. China.
Lunzhi DaiNational Clinical Research Center for Geriatrics, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
Xiaoming WangDepartment of Geriatrics, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, 710032, China.
Zhongqiu LuDepartment of Emergency Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.
Xiaohong SunDepartment of Geriatrics, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, No. 1 Shuaifuyuan, Dong Cheng District, Beijing, 100730, P.R. China.
Jianping CaiThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology of National Health Commission, Beijing, P.R. China. caijp61@vip.sina.com.
Wei MaInstitute of Statistics and Big Data, Renmin University of China, Beijing, P.R. China. mawei@ruc.edu.cn.
Tiemei ZhangThe Key Laboratory of Geriatrics, Beijing Institute of Geriatrics, Institute of Geriatric Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing Hospital/National Center of Gerontology of National Health Commission, Beijing, P.R. China. tmzhang126@126.com.

Funding

Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Initiative for Innovative Medicine No. 2021-I2M-1-050National High Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding BJ-2024-138National High-Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding BJ-2024-219The National Key Research and Development Program of China 2018YFC2000300The National Key Research and Development Program of China 2020YFC2002700
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intrinsic capacity (IC), a composite measure of physical and mental capacities, reflects the functional manifestations of biological aging, yet large-scale population evidence on how IC varies throughout adulthood outside Western settings remains limited. Using data from 17,086 Chinese adults aged 25-89 years in the nationally representative PENG ZU cohort, we characterized age-related variation in IC and its associated factors. IC was assessed across five domains (locomotion, cognition, vitality, psychological, sensory) using self-reported data and physical performance tests. A composite IC score was generated using weighted domain scores and standardized to a 0-100 range. IC levels declined progressively with age, with a sharper decrease and greater variability observed after age 60 in both sexes. The mean IC score was 67.8 (SD = 14) for participants aged < 60 years and 48.6 (SD = 17) for those aged ≥ 60 years. Inflection points were identified at age 60 for men and 62 for women, with significantly faster decline thereafter. The coefficient of variation in IC scores increased with age and differed significantly between adjacent age groups after 60 years. Among those aged ≥ 60, only 6.0% retained high IC, whereas nearly one-third experienced moderate-to-severe loss. Locomotion, cognition, vitality, and sensory domains showed marked age-related decline, with the largest reductions in cognition (60.7%), followed by locomotion (52.9%), vitality (51.0%), and sensory function (39.5%) between ages 50-54 and 85-89, while the psychological domain remained stable. Multivariate ANOVA identified age, education, and health consciousness (assessed via self-reported beliefs about personal responsibility for maintaining health) as the top factors associated with IC. Older age was associated with lower IC, whereas higher education and greater health consciousness were associated with higher IC. Furthermore, health consciousness was inversely associated with ADL/IADL disability across all age groups. These findings identify around 60 years as a critical window for the preservation of intrinsic capacity in Chinese adults and highlight health consciousness as a promising modifiable correlate that merits further investigation in the context of healthy aging.

Indexed as

AgingCognitionLongevityAdultAgedAged, 80 and overChinaFemaleHumansLocomotionLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedAge-related declineAgingChinaHealth consciousnessIntrinsic capacityPENG ZU study

Identifiers

PMID41739374
PMCPMC13356213

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.