KORA-AGE: Long-term determinants and consequences of multi-morbidity (2008 – ongoing)
Study objectives:
Objective 1: To determine the prevalence of multi-morbidity, functioning and successful aging at age 65 years or older in a large cohort of randomly selected inhabitants of the region of Augsburg, Germany.
Objective 2: To identify determinants for multi-morbidity, functioning and successful aging and mortality based on risk factor profiles at cohort entry.
Objective 3: To identify factors associated with multi-morbidity, functioning and successful aging at older age in a random sub-sample of the cohort.
Objective 4: To evaluate the potential of case management support by trained nurses to prevent re-hospitalisation in patients with myocardial infarction.
Study design and study population:
Three study designs were selected: (A) Mortality follow-up of approximately 8800 subjects of the KORA-cohort age 65 to 94 years in 2008 and morbidity follow-up by means of a telephone interview of all living subjects, approximately 5000 of the KORA-cohort (objectives 1 and 2). (B) Examinations in a random sample of the cohort, namely of 500 men and 500 women age 65 to 89 years assessing intermediate phenotypes of diseases and aging, functioning and disability, mental health and cognitive impairment, social support and attachment (objective 3). (C) An intervention study with myocardial infarction survivors aged 75 years and older (objective 4).
Study location:
KORA study center, Viktoriastr. 3, 86150 Augsburg; Tel. 0821/34642-0,
kora-studienzentrum@helmholtz-muenchen.de
Study methods:
Standardized computer assisted interview, self-administerd questionnaire, physical examination, blood sampling.
Study period:
May 2008 – April 2010
Study status:
to be started.
Investigators:
Helmholtz Zentrum München - Institute of Epidemiology: H.-Erich Wichmann (principal investigator);
Research Unit of Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases of the, Institute of Epidemiology
Institute of Health Economics and Health Care Management: Rolf Holle, Andreas Mielck
Institute for Inhalation Biology: H. Schulz
Collaborators: J. Behr, M. Bidlingmaier, E. Grill, R. Huber, R. Jörres, D. Nowak, T (LMU Munich), H. Bickel, A. Kurz (TU Munich), D. Huber (Hospital Harlarching), B. Kuch, W. von Scheidt (Hospital Augsburg)
Funding:
Bundesminsiterium für Forschung und Technologie (pending: 2008-2011)
Contact:
Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH)
PD Dr. Annette Peters
Institute of Epidemiology
Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1
85764 Neuherberg - Germany
Tel. +49-(0)89-3187-4566
Fax +49-(0)89-3187-3380
peters@helmholtz-muenchen.de