Gordon Adam L, Witham Miles D, Henderson Emily J, Harwood Rowan H, Masud Tahir
British Geriatrics Society, London, UK, University of Nottingham School of Medicine, Nottingham, UK, NIHR Applied Research Collaboration-East Midlands (ARC-EM), Nottingham, UK and University of Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, Derby, UK.
British Geriatrics Society, London, UK, NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.
Future Healthc J. 2021 Jul;8(2):e237-e242. doi: 10.7861/fhj.2021-0088.
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.
对老龄化的研究涵盖了老年人口带来的机遇和挑战，以及旨在了解整个生命周期内衰老过程的研究。综合老年评估（CGA）的证据基础已经确立，现在应将工作重点转向理解如何在不同的医疗环境中贯彻其原则。围绕老年人常见综合征的研究取得了不同程度的成功；虽然已经确定了针对跌倒和认知障碍的有效疗法，但患有严重衰弱的老年人通常被排除在帕金森病和尿失禁研究之外。旨在了解衰老机制的研究有可能预防或治疗新出现的肌肉减少症和认知障碍，从而改变衰弱轨迹。药物遗传学可以使治疗个体化，以减少多重用药。只有通过发展老龄化研究的基础设施、能力和专业知识，才能解决这些问题。常用的研究方法必须加以调整，以考虑到衰弱、认知障碍和功能依赖。
