Our life expectancy is steadily rising. Unfortunately, old age is accompanied by a growing vulnerability to disease. So far, much is unknown about the biology of human ageing and age-related diseases. However, experimental evidence shows that the undesirable effects of ageing are far more amenable to intervention than is generally assumed.
The Netherlands Consortiumfor Healthy Ageing (NCHA) seeks a thorough understanding of the ageing process and the spectrum of age-related diseases, and for available interventions that may be applied to protect and preserve health.
The process of ageing starts early in life. Damage accumulates, which over time leads to functional impairment of tissues and organs. Human maintenance and repair processes resist this impairment, but are unable to completely overcome and prevent permanent damage. Individuals age at a different pace, however. For a full understanding of what causes this variation in ageing, in disease load and in longevity,
a detailed knowledge of the genetic and physiological mechanisms is essential. Analysis of the interplay of genetic variation, nutrition, lifestyle, and other environmental factors is crucial to obtain a comprehensive understanding of ageing, and of healthy ageing in particular.
The NCHA will find new ways for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and
prevention of age-related disorders using genomics-based research.
Research focuses on:
- Identification and characterisation of genes and pathways that contribute to the presence or absence of disease at old age.
- Identification of environmental influences on these pathways that lower disease risk and promote healthy ageing.
- Exploringmedical, economical and societal applications of interventions to maximize the health span of older citizens.
The NCHA is hosted within the Netherlands Institute for Healthy and Successful Ageing (Ti-GO), a multidisciplinary collaborative venture involving internationally recognised scientific groups, industrial partners and health care organisations.
