The joint statement sets out a shared commitment to:
- actively support the inclusion of older adults in research
- challenge unjustified exclusion, particularly where older adults have complex health conditions
- ensure that research is designed with equity in mind and better reflects the diversity of the UK
The statement builds on the Chief Medical Officer’s annual report on healthy ageing, which highlighted that older people are routinely underrepresented in clinical trials and research studies.
Older people who are living with multiple long-term conditions are particularly underrepresented.
Age bias in research
Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer, said:
Despite often having the highest levels of need, older adults are frequently left out of research that directly affects their care.
This exclusion can lead to gaps in evidence, less effective treatments, and care that isn’t properly tailored to those who use services the most.
As the population ages, it’s essential that research reflects the people it aims to serve.
Understanding disease in later life
Funders are encouraging researchers to design studies that reflect the diversity of the UK population and avoid arbitrary age limits.
Including older people more routinely in all stages of health research, from early-stage biomedical research through to clinical trials, is essential.
This inclusion will lead to a more integrated understanding of the complexity of ill-health and how ageing influences disease development and treatment response.
The approach will help ensure that future prevention interventions, diagnostics, therapies and care models are effective for those most likely to use them.
Inclusive research design
Researchers are expected to embed diversity and inclusion into the design of studies involving human participants, samples or data.
This includes considering characteristics such as age, sex, gender, ethnicity and socio-economic position when designing proposals, recruiting participants and conducting research.
Better health, ageing and wellbeing
Professor Patrick Chinnery, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Lead for Health, Ageing and Wellbeing, and Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council, said:
Tackling health inequalities and understanding how to keep people healthier for longer is a key part of UKRI’s strategic theme of securing better health, ageing and wellbeing.
I am pleased to sign this statement, ensuring older people are included in research and clinical trials, which will allow us to address important challenges including multiple long-term conditions and poor mental health through advancements in prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Fit for the future
Health Minister, Karin Smyth, said:
We know that older people are more likely to face long-term health conditions like cancer and dementia, yet recent data shows that only one in seven people taking part in vital medical research studies are over 75.
If we want tomorrow’s treatments to work for everyone today, older people must be part of the research that creates them.
Through our 10 Year Health Plan, we’re turbocharging research and clinical trials, including by the NIHR launching a UK-wide recruitment drive for participants to get involved in research.
Through our Plan for Change, we’re tackling health inequalities head-on, making sure every medical breakthrough works for those who need it most and building an NHS that is truly fit for the future.
Further information
Statement of intent: integrating older age into health and care research
Inclusion of older people in research, including clinical trials, will lead to the development of more effective clinical, social, and public health strategies to address age-related health issues and improve the quality of life for our ageing population.
Relative to the proportion of disease, older adults are disproportionally underrepresented in research.
Excluding older adults from relevant research is unethical and often leads to research not being representative of the groups who have most disease. It can result in treatments that are less effective for the very people who most need support.
As a research funder community, we will commit to actively supporting the inclusion of older adults in research, particularly where health conditions have a particular impact on this group.
Furthermore, we will challenge any unwarranted exclusion of older adults or those with long-term conditions (multimorbidity) from research.
These exclusions are rarely justified and fail to align with the principles of equity and scientific excellence.
With a renewed commitment to addressing this area of health equity, we can make a difference in ensuring that our work addresses their health and care needs, aiming to enhance outcomes across the UK.