The Rotterdam Study or ERGO ( Dutch: ''Erasmus Rotterdam Gezondheid Onderzoek'') is a

prospective Prospective refers to an event that is likely or expected to happen in the future. For example, a ''prospective student'' is someone who is considering attending a school. A prospective cohort study is a type of study, e.g., in sociology or medic ...

, population-based cohort study. The aim of the Rotterdam Study is to investigate

etiology Etiology (pronounced ; alternatively: aetiology or ætiology) is the study of causation or origination. The word is derived from the Greek (''aitiología'') "giving a reason for" (, ''aitía'', "cause"); and ('' -logía''). More completely, e ...

, preclinical phase,

prognosis Prognosis (Greek: πρόγνωσις "fore-knowing, foreseeing") is a medical term for predicting the likely or expected development of a disease, including whether the signs and symptoms will improve or worsen (and how quickly) or remain stabl ...

and potential intervention targets of

chronic diseases A chronic condition is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term ''chronic'' is often applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three mon ...

in mid- and late-life. The study focuses on several diseases, such as

cardiovascular The blood circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the entire body of a human or other vertebrate. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, tha ...

, neurological, ophthalmological,

hepatic The liver is a major organ only found in vertebrates which performs many essential biological functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the synthesis of proteins and biochemicals necessary for digestion and growth. In humans, it ...

endocrine The endocrine system is a messenger system comprising feedback loops of the hormones released by internal glands of an organism directly into the circulatory system, regulating distant target organs. In vertebrates, the hypothalamus is the ...

, dermatological, otolaryngological, respiratory, locomotor and

psychiatric Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial psyc ...

diseases.

History

Researchers of the department of

Epidemiology Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population. It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evide ...

Biostatistics Biostatistics (also known as biometry) are the development and application of statistical methods to a wide range of topics in biology. It encompasses the design of biological experiments, the collection and analysis of data from those experime ...

at the Erasmus Medical Center led by Professor Albert Hofman, conceptualized the study in the mid-1980s as response to increase in the proportion of elderly persons in the population who are also living with chronic diseases. The study was established in 1990 in the Ommoord district of

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Nether ...

. On March 26, 1991,

Princess Juliana Juliana (; Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen of the Netherlands from 1948 until her abdication in 1980. Juliana was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Sh ...

opened the ERGO research center at Briandplaats, Rotterdam.

Cohorts

The Rotterdam Study consists of three cohorts. The initial cohort (RS-I) started out in 1990 with 7,983 men and women aged 55 years and over. Follow-up visits were held in 1993–1995, in 1997–1999, 2002–2004, 2009–2011, and 2014-2015. In 2000 a second cohort was established (RS-II). Another 3,011 inhabitants of Ommoord aged 55 years and over agreed to participate. The participants of this second cohort visited the research center for a follow-up examinations in 2004-2005, 2011–2012, and 2015-2016. The third cohort of the Rotterdam Study (RS-III) started in 2006, this time with inhabitants aged 45 years and over. Inclusion ended in December 2008 and 3,932 participants have been included in this third cohort. The first follow-up examinations were held in 2012-2014.

Research center

A typical examination at the Rotterdam Study includes an extensive standardized home interview and two visits to the research center for clinical examinations. Risk factors are measured at the research center, which is located in the middle of the district of Ommoord.

Clinical follow-up

Clinical outcomes are continuously monitored throughout the study period for all participants of the three cohorts. Data on morbidity and mortality are collected at general practitioners‘ practises and hospitals. Events are classified according to the

ICD-10 ICD-10 is the 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), a medical classification list by the World Health Organization (WHO). It contains codes for diseases, signs and symptoms ...

system.

Publications

The results of the Rotterdam Study have been published in more than 1700 research articles and reports. A list o
publications
from the Rotterdam Study.

External links

- official homepage

Footnotes

{{Authority control Epidemiological study projects Cohort studies