Home › Research › Prevention trials
The cost effectiveness of a multidomain intervention on physical, cognitive, vascular, dietary and psychosocial outcomes among community dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty in Malaysia: The AGELESS Trial
Pavapriya Ponvel, Suzana Shahar, Devinder Kaur Ajit Singh, Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin, Ponnusamy Subramaniam, Norhayati Ibrahim, Hasnah Haron, Aniza Binti Ismail et al.. Alzheimer s Research & Therapy, 2025-05-13
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The trial occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a 50% dropout rate, adherence among remaining participants was over 50% for all intervention components (range 53%-91%). The intervention led to significant improvements in selected parameters of cognitive function, physical performance, anthropometry, and dietary patterns (for all parameters, p < 0.05 for interaction time*group in repeat-measures ANOVA). The cost per participant was RM 1592.74 (≈USD 355.05) in the multidomain arm, and RM 488.21 (≈USD 108.83) in the control arm. The ICER computation indicated the 2-min step test as the most cost-effective measure (ICER RM 149.19 ≈USD33.26). The AGELESS trial demonstrates that a multidomain, lifestyle-based intervention can improve cognitive and physical function in older adults with (pre)-CF. This cost-effective approach highlights CF as a modifiable health condition and supports its potential inclusion in health policy to promote healthy aging and reduce health risks in LMICs, where there is a larger prevention potential due to prevalent lifestyle-related risk factors.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Ponvel, P., Shahar, S., Singh, D. K. A., Ludin, A. F. M., Subramaniam, P., Ibrahim, N., et al. (2025). The cost effectiveness of a multidomain intervention on physical, cognitive, vascular, dietary and psychosocial outcomes among community dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty in Malaysia: The AGELESS Trial. Alzheimer s Research & Therapy. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-025-01722-w
Vancouver
Ponvel P, Shahar S, Singh DKA, Ludin AFM, Subramaniam P, Ibrahim N, et al. The cost effectiveness of a multidomain intervention on physical, cognitive, vascular, dietary and psychosocial outcomes among community dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty in Malaysia: The AGELESS Trial. Alzheimer s Research & Therapy. 2025. doi:10.1186/s13195-025-01722-w. PMID: 40361174.
BibTeX
@article{ponvel2025-40361174,
author = {Ponvel, Pavapriya and Shahar, Suzana and Singh, Devinder Kaur Ajit and Ludin, Arimi Fitri Mat and Subramaniam, Ponnusamy and Ibrahim, Norhayati and Haron, Hasnah and Ismail, Aniza Binti and others},
title = {{The cost effectiveness of a multidomain intervention on physical, cognitive, vascular, dietary and psychosocial outcomes among community dwelling older adults with cognitive frailty in Malaysia: The AGELESS Trial}},
journal = {Alzheimer s Research \& Therapy},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1186/s13195-025-01722-w},
pmid = {40361174},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-025-01722-w}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record's author list ends in “et al.”, so not every author is named. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- The trial occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Despite a 50% dropout rate, adherence among remaining participants was over 50% for all intervention components (range 53%-91%).
- The intervention led to significant improvements in selected parameters of cognitive function, physical performance, anthropometry, and dietary patterns (for all parameters, p < 0.05 for interaction time*group in repeat-measures ANOVA).
- The cost per participant was RM 1592.74 (≈USD 355.05) in the multidomain arm, and RM 488.21 (≈USD 108.83) in the control arm.
- The ICER computation indicated the 2-min step test as the most cost-effective measure (ICER RM 149.19 ≈USD33.26).
Why it matters
In the AGELESS trial, a multidomain lifestyle intervention improved selected measures of cognitive and physical function in older adults with cognitive frailty, despite a 50% dropout rate. It reports cost-effectiveness for these outcomes but does not show that the intervention prevents or cures Alzheimer's disease.
New to this subject? Start with our plain-English guide: Prevention →
Study details
- Study designrandomized controlled trial
- Participants106
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 68/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Alzheimer s Research & Therapy) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | Alzheimer s Research & Therapy: journal h-index 146 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 106 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 1 / 2 | Randomised (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 16 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 5.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 8.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 16 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Francesca Mangialasche: h-index 52 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | Imperial College London: institution h-index 1,744 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40361174) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 68 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1186/s13195-025-01722-w
- PubMed: 40361174
- Original source →
- Free full text: Alzheimer s Research & Therapy →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Studies this one cites
Referenced by this study and also in the alzhub library, so you can read them here.
Later studies that cite this one
4 studies in the alzhub library list this one in their references. Showing the 3 highest-scoring.
Related studies in Prevention trials
Also tagged “controlled”
1,118 studies in the library carry the topic tag “controlled”; these are this study's neighbours in a fixed, alphabetical-by-hash tour of them, not the closest in content. All 1,118 tagged studies.