Courses in Epidemiology

This course will address important issues related to health and diseases in the elderly. The origin and impact of the major demographic trends that has lead to the recent ageing of our populations will be discussed. Recent insights from basic research into ageing using experimental models fuels the clinical search for the biomolecular  mechanisms that have bearing on health and disease in older age. Amongst others the principal mechanisms identified are inflammation, metabolism and cellular control. We will discuss also how the environment may alter the expression of our genome, i.e. epigenetic control. The impact of these basic mechanisms on occurrence of major diseases in the elderly, including diabetes, osteoporosis, and dementia, will be illustrated using various observational and experimental designs.

This course, in conjunction with the course Topics in Ageing Research is jointly organised by the Research Institute of Diseases in teh Elderly (RIDE) and LifeSpan.

Objectives:

·          To understand the impact of demographic trends that has

led to ageing

·          Gain insight in epigenetic control