Frailty is common among older people in Ireland, particularly women, however it can be avoided, delayed or even reversed with timely and appropriate interventions, a new report has shown.

The report was compiled by the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) in Trinity College Dublin (TCD). It provides information on the health, social and economic circumstances of older adults in Ireland prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the findings, frailty is common, with 18% of adults over the age of 58 affected. This rises to 22% in those over the age of 65, and to 33% in those over the age of 75.

Almost twice as many women are affected - 22% versus 13% of men - and frailty is also three times more prevalent among people with lower levels of education.

However the researchers emphasised that frailty is not inevitable if timely and appropriate interventions can be accessed, both at the individual and population level.

Meanwhile, the report also found that 64% of adults aged 75 and older have at least three chronic conditions compared to 34% of those aged between 58 and 64. These include cardiovascular conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and respiratory conditions, such as asthma and lung disease.

Adults with low physical activity levels are more likely to report having at least three conditions.

Some 92% of all adults over the age of 75 use at least one medication, while 48% of this age group use five or more medications.

The report also found that 41% of adults over the age of 58 provide some kind of regular help or care to their spouses, relatives (not including grandchildren), neighbours and friends, while 42% said that they had looked after grandchildren in the last month.

Some 8% of people over the age of 58 still had living parents and a significant number of these helped their parents with things such as dressing, feeding, bathing and household chores.

According to Dr Christine McGarrigle, co-author of the report, these findings highlight the positive impact that higher levels of exercise can have on chronic conditions and medication use.

"This indicates that modifiable behaviours play a substantial role in healthy ageing. This report provides strong evidence to support public health initiatives that promote the adoption of positive lifestyle changes for a healthy ageing population," she commented.

Meanwhile, Principal TILDA investigator, Prof Rose Anne Kenny, said that the findings provide a "unique snapshot into the lives of older adults before the pandemic unfolded".

"This report provides an important baseline to help identify and assess the longer-term effects of the pandemic on their health and circumstances. Researchers can identify negative impacts on health and wellbeing, some positive outcomes of the crisis, such as greater resilience or improvements in digital literacy, new skills in technology or participation in new activities.

"This report will provide a strong baseline to contrast with TILDA's data collection in the future and can serve as a solid source to indicate how health, social and environmental transformations have affected adults aged 50 and over in Ireland," Prof Kenny added.

The report, The Older Population of Ireland on the Eve of the COVID-19 Pandemic, can be viewed here.