| Why do individuals age at such a different pace? This is the question the Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing (NCHA) aims to get a better understanding of. We study the factors that keep people healthy and reduce the risk of disease and disability. Ageing is more amenable for intervention than is generally assumed. However, we first need to know more about the biology of ageing. NCHA is trying to find genes and to unravel metabolic processes related to ageing and longevity. We also try to find out how environmental factors, including lifestyle, influence the ageing process and hope to discover keystones to answer the question: how can people live healthier for longer? NCHA is an alliance between the Leiden University Medical Centre, the Erasmus Medical Centre and business partners Unilever, Philips and Galápagos. NCHA is supported by the Netherlands Genomics Initiative and part of its health cluster. Preventing the Damage of Ageing The process of ageing starts early in life. Damage accumulates, leading to functional impairment of tissues and organs. Maintenance and repair processes are unable to completely overcome and prevent damage. Individuals age at different pace, however. For a full understanding of what causes this variation, a detailed knowledge of the genetic and physiological mechanisms, and of the interplay with environmental factors including behaviour, is essential. |
