The Rotterdam Study

    Characteristic

    Description

     

           Name of the cohort 
     

    The Rotterdam Study (ERGO)

     

           Description / aim of the cohort 

    The Rotterdam Study is a prospective cohort study that aims to investigate the frequency, etiology, and determinants of chronic diseases in the elderly. While initially focusing on cardiovascular, neurological, ophthalmological, and endocrine diseases, the scope has expanded to also include hepatic, psychiatric, dermatological, otolaryngological, locomotor, and respiratory diseases.

     

           Description of the cohort population (age, specific characteristics, e.g. adults with cardiovascular disease, low SEP) 

    Adults living in the Ommoord district. Historically aged 55 years and over , but since the summer of 2016, the cohort includes participants aged 40 years and over.

     

           Location of the cohort

    Ommoord district in Rotterdam

     

           Institution

    Erasmus MC

     

           Cohort size (n)

    17,931 participants, comprising four distinct cohorts.

     

           Start year of the cohort

    1990 (Pilot phase in 1989)

     

           Follow-up (years and n)

    Examinations are repeated every 3-4 years. Cycles include:

     

    1990 1993; 1993 1995; 1997 1999; 2000 2001; 2002 2004; 2004 2005; 2006 2008; 2009 2011; 2011 2012; 2012 2014; 2014 2016; 2016-2020; 2021-2024;2024-onwards

     

     

           Types of variables (e.g., health behaviours, psychosocial factors, clinical health outcomes, demographic characteristics)

           Measurement methods (e.g., questionnaires, clinical assessments, biosamples)

    Measurements: through questionnaires, extensive home interviews and research facility examinations.

    General & Lifestyle:

             Medical history, current health status, drug use (ATC-coded).

             Socio-economic status, education.

             Lifestyle: Smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary habits (Food Frequency Questionnaires), physical activity (questionnaires & accelerometers), sleep quality.

     

    Cardiovascular:

             Blood pressure (brachial & ankle-brachial index), ECG (10s & 3-min resting), Echocardiography, Pulse wave velocity (arterial stiffness).

             CT/MRI for coronary calcification, carotid plaque & aortic calcification.

     

    Locomotor:

             Bone mineral density (DXA), X-rays (spine, hip, knee, hand).

             Pain sensitivity (thermal quantitative sensory testing).

             Gait assessment (GAITRite walkway) & physical performance tests.

     

    Neurological & Psychiatric:

             Cognitive testing (MMSE, test battery), Screening for dementia & Parkinsonism.

             MRI brain imaging (structural, white matter lesions, cerebral microbleeds).

             Depression (CES-D) & Anxiety screening.

             Polyneuropathy assessment (EMG/questionnaire).

     

    Ophthalmological:

             Visual acuity, refractive error, intraocular pressure.

             Imaging: OCT, fundus photography, corneal topography.

     

    Otolaryngological (Hearing & Balance):

             Pure-tone audiometry (hearing thresholds).

             Speech perception in noise tests.

             Vestibular function (Head Impulse Test).

     

    Internal Medicine / Endocrine / Liver:

             Blood samples: Glucose (Glucose Tolerance Test), lipids, hormones (thyroid, sex hormones), inflammation markers.

             Saliva: Cortisol (Dexamethasone suppression test).

             Liver: Abdominal ultrasound & Fibroscan (elastography for fibrosis).

     

    Dermatology:

             Full body skin examination, 3D facial photography, skin color measurements.

     

    Omics & Biosamples:

             Genomics (GWAS, Exome sequencing), Metabolomics, Epigenetics (Methylation).

             Microbiome: Feces, Mouth, Skin, Nose, Urine.

     

           Oral health variables (questionnaire/self-reported)

    General health teeth, hygiene products (fluids), frequency and duration tooth brushing, bleeding gums, visits at the dentist, wisdom teeth, problems eating certain food types, insecurity because of mouth or teeth problems.

           Oral health variables (clinically assessed)

    None

     

           Oral health variables (biological, e.g., microbiome data, saliva)

    Microbiome: Pilot studies have been conducted and larger-scale collection is ongoing for microbiomes from the mouth, in addition to feces, skin, and nose.

     

    Saliva: Saliva samples are collected for various analyses, including cortisol determinations (dexamethasone suppression test) and DNA extraction.

     

           Reference to design paper

    Ikram et al., 2018

     

           Website

    http://www.epib.nl/research/ergo.htm

     

           Procedure for requesting data

    Requests for data-access addressed to the management team:

    secretariat.epi@erasmusmc.nl

     

           Procedure for data storage

    -

     

           Associated costs for data requests (yes/no)

    -

           Contact person / principal investigator

    Prof. dr. M. Arfan Ikram (m.a.ikram@erasmusmc.nl)