This narrative review explores the value and contribution of the 45 and Up Study - Australia’s largest longitudinal study of healthy ageing - to our understanding of factors that enable people to age well, widening inequities as people age, and prospects for healthy ageing for current and subsequent generations.

To date, the participants have been followed for more than 15 years, providing information on the foundations of health in mid and later-life, factors affecting work, impacts of retirement, and the importance of housing, care, and aged services in improving the lives of people as they age. Moreover, since the Study cohort covers a wide age range, it is possible to divide the cohort into sequences, allowing comparisons of people in their 80s now (for example) with people who were aged in their 80s five, 10 or 15  years ago. Adding genetic and other biological and clinical data for some participants will further enhance the value of the project as a comprehensive study of healthy ageing.