Epidemiology in Groningen

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Epidemiology in Groningen

• What is epidemiology
• Our department
• Projects in our department
• Special Oncology

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Definition of epidemiology

• The study of the distribution and determinants
  of health-related states or events in specified
  populations, and the application of this study to
  control of health problems
• The study of the occurrence of a disease in a
  population, in relation to its determinants.

http//bmj.bmjjournals.com/collections/epidem
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Epidemiology is occurrence research

• Object of research occurrence relation
• Outcome (determinants)
• Determinants are all factors that influence the
  frequency of a disease (causal or not-causal)
• Outcome may include (other) risk factors,
  disorders, disease progression/cure, burden of
  disease, costs

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Department of Epidemiology at UMCGFacts

• Established February 2005
• Union of epidemiology, data management and MTA
  groups from Medical School and Academic Hospital
• Focus on own research in collaboration with
  strong clinical research groups
• Clinical Research desk (CRD) for consultancy
• Teaching in several Bachelors and Master
  programs, including new MSc Epidemiology program
• About 65 people
• 8 associate/full professors
• 25 scientific staff

www.EpidemiologyGroningen.nl
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www.EpidemiologyGroningen.nl
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Scientific output 2005

• 81 PubMed publications
• 27 first, second, last author
• 2 PhD-theses completed (co-promotor)
• 24 grant applications
• 5 granted

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Organization

• Two sections
• Research Education RE (OO)
• Diabetes/obesity
• Cardio-renal disorders
• Lung diseases
• Oncology
• Psychiatry
• Medical statistics
• Genetic epidemiology
• MTA
• Research support (RCC)
• Management team
• Secretary, supporting staff

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Department of Epidemiology

• Ongoing projects offering excellent research
  opportunities

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Chronic diseases are the greatest threat to
quality of life and have one thing in common
ageing is the number 1 risk factor
Burden through age-related diseases worldwide
loss in DALYs1), 2005 100

• Diabetes

Age-related (chronic) diseases

• Parkinsons

• Alzheimers

• Cancer

• All diseases combined

Index 2005

• Communicable, hereditary and nutrition related
  diseases

1) Disability Adjusted Life Year
Source WHO, Global Burden of Disease Estimates
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LIFELINES

• Focus on modification of universal risk factors
  for multifactorial diseasesPopulation-based
  study 165.000 participants from the northern
  provinces of the NetherlandsThree-generation
  study designMultiple UMCG departments involved
  www.lifelines.nl

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Purpose of LifeLines

• Central question
• Why do some people get old in a healthy manner,
  and why have others already severe impairments or
  diseases early in their life?
• Focus on
• Multifactorial diseases (gene environment)
• Factors which cause more than one disease

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Main focus of LifeLinesFrequently occuring
diseases with high impact
Note many diseases are defined by an arbitrary
cut-off in a continuous disease marker or
endophenotype.
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LifeLines cohort dimensions
The study will cover 30,000 index persons
(probands or propositi) with an age between 25
and 50 years in a defined geographical area, and
subsequently assess and follow their family
members
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Mental disease- TRAILS

• Aims at understanding the origins of mental
  disease
• Provides a multitude of repeatedly measured
  psychosocial and biological data
• Included a cohort of more than 2000 adolescents
  from the general population
• Principally carried out by the department of
  Psychiatry
• www.trails.nl

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Cardiovascular disease - PREVEND

• Directed at the assessment of the impact of
  microalbuminuria
• Focus is on renal and cardiovascular disease
• Cohort study with 8592 persons from the general
  population
• Carried out in close collaboration with the
  department of Internal Medicine
• www.prevend.org

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Adiposity - GECKO

• Focus on development of body weight during the
  first year of life
• Measures of metabolism, genetics, parental life
  style
• Includes a cohort of all children born in Drenthe
  during one year (N5500)
• Carried out in close collaboration with the
  department of Pediatrics
• www.rug.nl/umcg/faculteit/disciplinegroepen/kinder
  geneeskunde/gecko

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COPD - VLAGTWEDDE/VLAARDINGEN

• Sample of the general population of the
  Netherlands followed up for 25 years
• Measurements of FEV1, single nucleotide
  polymorphisms, life style factors (smoking)
• In collaboration with the department of Pulmonary
  Diseases

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Oncology CANCER REGISTRY

• Early detection of breast and ovarian cancer in
  families with BRCA mutations
• Follow-up after breast cancer
• Incidence and determinants of irradical tumor
  resection