The LIFE-Adult-Study: objectives and design of a population-based cohort study with 10,000 deeply phenotyped adults in Germany

Abstract

BackgroundThe LIFE-Adult-Study is a population-based cohort study, which has recently completed the baseline examination of 10,000 randomly selected participants from Leipzig, a major city with 550,000 inhabitants in the east of Germany. It is the first study of this kind and size in an urban population in the eastern part of Germany. The study is conducted by the Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE). Our objective is to investigate prevalences, early onset markers, genetic predispositions, and the role of lifestyle factors of major civilization diseases, with primary focus on metabolic and vascular diseases, heart function, cognitive impairment, brain function, depression, sleep disorders and vigilance dysregulation, retinal and optic nerve degeneration, and allergies.Methods/designThe study covers a main age range from 40-79 years with particular deep phenotyping in elderly participants above the age of 60. The baseline examination was conducted from August 2011 to November 2014. All participants underwent an extensive core assessment programme (5-6 h) including structured interviews, questionnaires, physical examinations, and biospecimen collection. Participants over 60 underwent two additional assessment programmes (3-4 h each) on two separate visits including deeper cognitive testing, brain magnetic resonance imaging, diagnostic interviews for depression, and electroencephalography.DiscussionThe participation rate was 33 %. The assessment programme was accepted well and completely passed by almost all participants. Biomarker analyses have already been performed in all participants. Genotype, transcriptome and metabolome analyses have been conducted in subgroups. The first follow-up examination will commence in 2016.

First Evidence For Glial Pathology In Late Life Minor Depression: s100b Is Increased In Males With Minor Depression

“…LIFE study includes a representative sample from the Leipzig population (Loeffler et al, 2015). All of the participants provided their written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki before participation in the study.…”

“…Samples were then filled in straws (CryoBioSytems IMV, France) by an automatic aliquoting system (DIVA, CryoBioSytems IMV, France). After that serum samples were stored at −80 • C. To minimize freeze-thaw cycles, samples were sorted in a cryogenic work bench (temperatures below −100 • C) and automatically stored in tanks with a coolable top frame in the gas phase of liquid nitrogen (Askion, Germany; Loeffler et al, 2015). S100B and NSE were measured with monoclonal 2-site immunoluminometric assays performed on the fully mechanized system LIAISON (Diasorin, Dietzenbach, Germany).…”

Association of Peripheral Blood Pressure with Grey Matter Volume in 19- to 40-Year-Old Adults

“…Importantly, HTN is also related to asymptomatic cerebrovascular disease, including sub-77 clinical functional 7,8 and structural [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] brain changes. HTN-related markers of asymptomatic 78 structural brain damage include white matter (WM) hyperintensities, cortical microbleeds, 79 microinfarcts, and brain atrophy 15 , that can be evaluated in-vivo with neuroimaging methods 80 like structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).…”

“…HTN-related markers of asymptomatic 78 structural brain damage include white matter (WM) hyperintensities, cortical microbleeds, 79 microinfarcts, and brain atrophy 15 , that can be evaluated in-vivo with neuroimaging methods 80 like structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Elevated BP has often been related to 81 sub-clinical brain volume reductions in the medial temporal and frontal lobes 6,7,[10][11][12]16 . 82…”

“…Hippocampal volumes, in particular, have been consistently associated with HTN-related 83 reductions 6,10,11,16 . Frontal and medial temporal regions have been proposed to be especially 84 sensitive to effects of pulsation, hypoperfusion and ischemia, which often result from 85 increasing pressure 4,16 .…”