Transforming Cognitive Frailty to Later Life Self-Sufficiency (AGELESS) Study: Cohort Description and Bibliometric Analysis

Frailty and cognitive impairment are two major geriatric syndromes occurring at a rapid rate in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in Asia. This study aimed to provide a detailed overview of the Transforming Cognitive Frailty into Later-life Self-Sufficiency (AGELESS) cohort and to perform a bibliometric analysis. Participants were recruited from eight of the 14 states in Malaysia. Basic demographics, cognitive function, medical history, psychological well-being, health care utilization, physical performance and laboratory, including blood and stool, samples were collected. A Google Scholar search and bibliometric analysis was conducted to identify publications, journals, keywords and main findings. The AGELESS dataset contains data from 6064 individuals aged ≥55 years at recruitment from 2012. One hundred and eighty-seven papers have been published to date on healthy ageing, dementia and health care. Key published findings were in the areas of cognitive health and ageing, blood-based biomarkers, frailty, chronic disease, social support, quality of life, technology, as well as nutrition and lifestyle. In conclusion, the AGELESS study contributed to data addressing the imbalance in published research from LMIC. While the continuity of the cohort had been challenged by resource and infrastructure constraints, findings from the longitudinal cohort had been invaluable for informing local practices and policies.