Healthy ageing


CAIDE (CArdiovascular risk factors, Aging and Dementia)

CAIDE aims to study the association between cardiovascular risk factors at midlife, and dementia and Alzheimer disease at late life. The study population is derived from the participants in the FINRISK surveys from 1972 to1987. In 1998 altogether 1,449 persons took part to a comprehensive re-examination. The results show e.g. that high blood pressure, high total cholesterol, overweigh, and physical inactivity at midlife predict independently Alzheimer disease in 21 year follow-up. The second follow-up takes place in 2006-2007. The research is scientific collaboration between KTL and University of Kuopio from Finland and Karolinska Institutet from Sweden.
Contact person:Miia.Kivipelto (firstname.lastname@ki.se)

Ageing Women in Eastern Finland (ITSYT)-study

The ITSYT study aims to examine associations between functional capacity, diseases and their determinants, and progression of atherosclerosis in elderly women. The follow-up of a cohort of 50-59 year old women examined in 1982 in the FINMONICA study has been organized in 1991, 1992 and in 2003. Results from 12 years of follow-up show, that metabolic syndrome increased from 13% to 46% among old women and the progression of atherosclerosis (carotid intima-media thickness) became twofold among those with metabolic syndrome. The study is a scientific collaboration with Kuopio Research Institute of Exercise Medicine and University of Kuopio. Contact person: Kristiina Patja

The Veteran Project

In 1992, a survey on Finnish war veterans was carried out. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health delegated the National Public Health Institute to organize the survey. The aim was to collect information on war veteran’s living conditions, health, use of health and rehabilitation services and their additional service needs. Survey was linked to a development project where the aim was to find those veterans whose rehabilitation, social and health services were inadequate and to inform the local authorities in municipalities about their needs. The Veteran project was continued in 2004 when a follow-up survey was conducted to a randomly selected sub-sample of veterans. The aim of the follow-up survey was to analyse the current health situation, functional capacity, living conditions and again the use and need of rehabilitation, health and social services. Contact person: Tiina Laatikainen