The Rotterdam Study: 2012 Objectives and Design Update

The Rotterdam Study, initiated in 1990, is a prospective cohort study that has included 14,926 participants aged 45 or older as of 2008, with a response rate of 72.0%. It has contributed to over 1,000 research articles and reports, focusing on a wide range of diseases in the elderly. In dermatology, the study found a 4.8% prevalence of basal cell carcinoma among participants, with certain factors like red hair, higher education, and younger age at first occurrence linked to a higher likelihood of developing multiple tumors. In endocrinology, it identified risk factors for locomotor disability and an association between increased homocysteine levels and osteoporotic fractures. The study also investigated liver diseases, particularly non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and its cardiovascular implications. In neurology, it found a significant increase in the prevalence of dementia, Parkinson's disease, and stroke with age, and identified novel genes associated with these conditions. Psychiatric research within the study refuted the vascular depression hypothesis and found a U-shaped association between sleep duration and BMI. It also studied anxiety disorders, smoking cessation, and complicated grief. In respiratory research, the study found a higher incidence of COPD in men and smokers, and identified genetic loci associated with lung function and COPD risk. The study also incorporated advanced imaging techniques for pharmaco-epidemiological studies and anticipated new developments in imaging methods.