Arlington Study of Healthy Aging: design of a community cohort on age-related functional decline
The Arlington Study of Healthy Aging is a multidisciplinary community cohort study whose design combines whole-body MRI, vascular testing, blood biomarkers, cognitive and physical function tests, DEXA scans and remote monitoring to study biological, psychological and social mechanisms of age-related functional decline. [1]
Automatic summary · not editorially reviewed
The key findings
The abstract says the population aged 65 and older is growing at an unprecedented rate, creating an urgent need for aging-centered biobehavioral data to guide public health interventions. [1]
ASHA is described as a community cohort study using whole-body MRI, vascular function testing, venous blood biomarkers, cognitive and physical function evaluations, DEXA scans and continuous remote monitoring of activity, sleep, blood pressure and glucose. [1]
The stated aim is to identify modifiable risk factors and protective mechanisms influencing aging trajectories and to generate actionable insights for longevity, independence and quality of life in older adults. [1]
The source at a glance
- Study type / format
- Abstract describing the rationale, design and methodological framework of a community cohort study
- Population / context
- Adults aged 65 years and older, addressed as the target group of the study's aging focus; no enrolled participants are described.
- Summary based on
- Study abstract
- Original publication
- August 28, 2026
Rationale: a growing population aged 65 and older
The abstract states that the number of people aged 65 years and older is growing worldwide at an unprecedented rate. It says this creates an urgent need for comprehensive biobehavioral data centered on aging to guide public health interventions. The study is presented as a response to that need.
Supporting source [1]
Design: multimodal assessments across organ systems
ASHA is described as a community cohort study designed to investigate biological, psychological and social mechanisms behind age-related functional decline. Assessments include whole-body MRI, vascular function testing, venous blood biomarkers, cognitive and physical function evaluations and DEXA scans. Continuous remote monitoring covers activity, sleep, blood pressure and glucose. The abstract says these capture quantitative and qualitative dimensions of aging across brain, heart, muscle, liver and adipose tissue. A central aim is to identify modifiable risk factors and protective mechanisms influencing aging trajectories.
Supporting source [1]
Stated goals and abstract-only scope
The authors say interdisciplinary collaboration should generate actionable insights to improve longevity, independence and quality of life among older adults. The record gives the registration number NCT06857877 and the date 2024-09-24. It presents rationale, design and methods only; no participants, results, follow-up or effect estimates are reported. Whether the assessments will show associations with functional decline is therefore not answered here.
Supporting source [1]
How to interpret this
This is an abstract only; the full text was not reviewed. It reports rationale, design and methods, with no participants, results, follow-up or effect estimates. The described assessments are planned measurements, not demonstrated outcomes.
Based on the study abstract; the full paper, tables and supplementary data were not reviewed.
Source & supporting passages
Davis DL, Shah R, Pixler L, Mai DM, Santos J, Chandler C, White K, Nguyen J, Moradi AS, Choudhari J, Arena-Marshall C, Johnson C, Kamel L, Liao Y, Greer TL, Cooper C, Ball H, Fields NL, Wang X, Sussman BL, Borzage MT, Fadel PJ, Nelson MD. · europepmc.org · August 28, 2026