For the first time in Thailand, there will be the opportunity to begin to understand the mechanisms affecting the healthspan of Thai people.

Thailand Healthspan Study

In cooperation with several international scientific institutions, the Thailand Healthspan Study is a longitudinal study on aging and modern lifestyle-related diseases focusing on Alzheimer's in seniors, stress-related diseases in adults and learning disabilities in children. It is a large long-term study that intends to follow approximately 100,000 men, women and children when recruited, for at least 10 years. For the first time in Thailand, there will be the opportunity to begin to understand the complex interplay between physical, social and psychological determinants of health, including gene-gene and gene-environment interactions.

Few studies of aging have collected bio-marker, genetic or epigenetic data to reveal the process of aging, and to study how biological processes interact with physical and lifestyle environments to produce harmful health outcomes. Genetic variation undoubtedly contributes to general aging and certain age-related diseases, there are many cases of very closely related individuals with the same genetic markers showing substantial variation in the age of onset, or severity of, disease. There is also evidence that the incidence of disease varies according to life circumstances, or lifestyle.

An increasing body of persuasive evidence supports a role for epigenetic changes in the etiology of aging and associated disease. However, the common caveat to all these early studies is that individuals were not tracked over time, and the epigenetic measures only reflected a single point in time. What is needed is longitudinal research like the Thailand Healthspan Study  to fill this gap in our understanding of the role of epigenetic change in chronic illness.

The Thailand Healthspan Study genetics based lifestyle research is directed by lead principal investigator, Dr. Aimon Kopera MD. In addition, the Thailand Healthspan Study may include a network of multidisciplinary researchers across Thailand and internationally who participate in development of the scientific content and research methods of various sub-studies during the longitudinal project.

Sub-Studies

Learning Challenges in Children

Stress-Related Diseases in Adults

Alzheimer's Disease in Seniors

Study Goals

  • The Thailand Healthspan Study intends to follow approximately 100,000 men, women and children when recruited, for at least 10 years.
  • We will collect information on the changing biological, medical, psychological, social, lifestyle and economic aspects of people’s lives.
  • These factors will be studied to understand how, individually and in combination, they can have a positive impact in both maintaining health and in the development of disease & disability.

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