Applying the Bradford Hill Criteria to Assess the Independent Causal Roles of Aging and Medication in Frailty Progression: A Systematic Review.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The scientific literature, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses, has frequently described associations between aging, medication use, and frailty, without evaluation of their independent causation. The Bradford Hill Criteria, a framework consisting of nine principles for assessing epidemiological causation, is ideally suited to unconfound and assess the independent causal effect of aging versus medication use, in frailty progression.

Methods

A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL with no restrictions on date or study design. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria and assessed for quality using the Joanna Briggs Instit

SUBMITTER: Thapa SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12855283 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature