PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Adam L Gordon AU - Miles D Witham AU - Emily J Henderson AU - Rowan H Harwood AU - Tahir Masud TI - Research into ageing and frailty AID - 10.7861/fhj.2021-0088 DP - 2021 Jul 01 TA - Future Healthcare Journal PG - e237--e242 VI - 8 IP - 2 4099 - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/8/2/e237.short 4100 - http://www.rcpjournals.org/content/8/2/e237.full SO - Future Healthc J2021 Jul 01; 8 AB - Research into ageing covers opportunities and challenges posed by an older population, and research to understand the ageing processes across the lifespan. The evidence base for Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) is well established and efforts should now shift to understanding how to implement its principles across different healthcare contexts. Research around syndromes common in older people has progressed with variable success; while effective therapies for falls and cognitive impairment have been identified, older people with advanced frailty have commonly been excluded from Parkinson's disease and continence research. Research to understand the mechanisms of ageing has potential to mitigate against or treat emerging sarcopenia and cognitive impairment, and thus modify frailty trajectories. Pharmacogenetics could individualise therapeutics to reduce polypharmacy. These issues can only be addressed with development of infrastructure, capacity and expertise in ageing research. Commonly used research methodologies must be adapted to take account of frailty, cognitive impairment and functional dependency.