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CHANCES


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CHANCES (Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States) was funded by the European Commission within the Seventh Framework Programme, and aims at combining and integrating on-going studies in order to produce evidence on ageing-related health characteristics and determinants for healthy ageing. 

Project period: 08.02.2010- 22.01.2015

The CHANCES project focuses on four groups of chronic diseases and conditions (cancer, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, osteoporosis and fractures, and cognitive function and dementia disorders) which are major contributors to the burden of disease in the elderly.

The CHANCES research Consortium consists of 16 partners and 2 collaborators, with The Tromsø Study as one of the partners. The project was coordinated by Hellenic Health Foundation. The ageing of the world population is one of major global challenges of this century. For many people old age is associated with illness.

The challenge posed by population ageing makes it necessary to ensure that the extra years of life are as good as possible, without limited health and social involvement opportunities. Older people’ abilities to contribute to the society should never be underestimated, and no artificial or preventable barriers should limit them.

WHO has stressed that healthy ageing goes beyond avoidance of disease and disability. Successful ageing is defined as ageing involving freedom from disability along with high cognitive, physical and social functioning. The elderly have certain needs to be addressed and the governments, healthcare systems, and general public should be advised about those in details. Therefore well defined health determinants of ageing and its functional outcomes are crucial in order to improve overall health and quality of life of elderly. Furthermore, valid and precise data on health characteristics of ageing populations are essential to estimate their social and economic impact.

Several scientific papers have been published. See more information on the CHANCES web site.

Members from the Tromsø Study

Tom Wilsgaard (Principal investigator)
Inger Njølstad

Publications co-authored by members from our research group

  1. Amadou A, Freisling H, Jenab M, Tsilidis KK, Trichopoulou A, Boffetta P, Van Guelpen B, Mokoroa O, Wilsgaard T, Kee F, Schöttker B, Ordóñez-Mena JM, Männistö S, Söderberg S, Vermeulen RCH, Quirós JR, Liao LM, Sinha R, Kuulasmaa K, Brenner H, Romieu I. Prevalent diabetes and risk of total, colorectal, prostate and breast cancers in an ageing population: meta-analysis of individual participant data from cohorts of the CHANCES consortium. Br J Cancer. 2021;124(11):1882-1890. doi: 10.1038/s41416-021-01347-4.
  2. Papadimitriou N, Tsilidis KK, Orfanos P, Benetou V, Ntzani EE, Soerjomataram I, Künn-Nelen A, Pettersson-Kymmer U, Eriksson S, Brenner H, Schöttker B, Saum KU, Holleczek B, Grodstein FD, Feskanich D, Orsini N, Wolk A, Bellavia A, Wilsgaard T, Jørgensen L, Boffetta P, Trichopoulos D, Trichopoulou A. Burden of hip fracture using disability-adjusted life-years: a pooled analysis of prospective cohorts in the CHANCES consortium. Lancet Public Health. 2017;2(5):e239-e246. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30046-4.
  3. Ordóñez-Mena JM, Walter V, Schöttker B, Jenab M, O'Doherty MG, Kee F, Bueno- de-Mesquita B, Peeters PHM, Stricker BH, Ruiter R, Hofman A, Söderberg S, Jousilahti P, Kuulasmaa K, Freedman ND, Wilsgaard T, Wolk A, Nilsson LM, Tjønneland A, Quirós JR, van Duijnhoven FJB, Siersema PD, Boffetta P, Trichopoulou A, Brenner H; Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES). Impact of prediagnostic smoking and smoking cessation on colorectal cancer prognosis: a meta-analysis of individual patient data from cohorts within the CHANCES consortium. Ann Oncol. 2018;29(2):472-483. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdx761.
  4. Bamia C, Orfanos P, Juerges H, Schöttker B, Brenner H, Lorbeer R, Aadahl M, Matthews CE, Klinaki E, Katsoulis M, Lagiou P, Bueno-de-Mesquita HBA, Eriksson S, Mons U, Saum KU, Kubinova R, Pajak A, Tamosiunas A, Malyutina S, Gardiner J, Peasey A, de Groot LC, Wilsgaard T, Boffetta P, Trichopoulou A, Trichopoulos D. Self-rated health and all-cause and cause-specific mortality of older adults: Individual data meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies in the CHANCES Consortium. Maturitas. 2017;103:37-44. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2017.06.023.
  5. Freisling H, Arnold M, Soerjomataram I, O'Doherty MG, Ordóñez-Mena JM, Bamia C, Kampman E, Leitzmann M, Romieu I, Kee F, Tsilidis K, Tjønneland A, Trichopoulou A, Boffetta P, Benetou V, Bueno-de-Mesquita HBA, Huerta JM, Brenner H, Wilsgaard T, Jenab M. Comparison of general obesity and measures of body fat distribution in older adults in relation to cancer risk: meta-analysis of individual participant data of seven prospective cohorts in Europe. Br J Cancer. 2017;116(11):1486-1497. doi: 10.1038/bjc.2017.106.
  6. Sluik D, Jankovic N, Hughes M, O'Doherty MG, Schöttker B, Drygas W, Rolandsson O, Männistö S, Ordóñez-Mena JM, Ferrieres J, Bamia C, de Gaetano G, Kiefte-De Jong JC, Franco OH, Sluijs I, Spijkerman AMW, Sans S, Eriksson S, Kromhout D, Trichopoulou A, Wilsgaard T, Brenner H, Kuulasmaa K, Laatikainen T, Söderberg S, Iacoviello L, Boffetta P, Kee F, Feskens EJM. Alcoholic beverage preference and diabetes incidence across Europe: the Consortium on Health and Ageing Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) project. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2017;71(5):659-668. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2017.4.
  7. Katsoulis M, Benetou V, Karapetyan T, Feskanich D, Grodstein F, Pettersson- Kymmer U, Eriksson S, Wilsgaard T, Jørgensen L, Ahmed LA, Schöttker B, Brenner H, Bellavia A, Wolk A, Kubinova R, Stegeman B, Bobak M, Boffetta P, Trichopoulou A. Excess mortality after hip fracture in elderly persons from Europe and the USA: the CHANCES project. J Intern Med. 2017;281(3):300-310. doi: 10.1111/joim.12586.
  8. Arnold M, Freisling H, Stolzenberg-Solomon R, Kee F, O'Doherty MG, Ordóñez- Mena JM, Wilsgaard T, May AM, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Tjønneland A, Orfanos P, Trichopoulou A, Boffetta P, Bray F, Jenab M, Soerjomataram I; CHANCES consortium. Overweight duration in older adults and cancer risk: a study of cohorts in Europe and the United States. Eur J Epidemiol. 2016;31(9):893-904. doi: 10.1007/s10654-016-0169-z.
  9. Tsilidis KK, Papadimitriou N, Capothanassi D, Bamia C, Benetou V, Jenab M, Freisling H, Kee F, Nelen A, O'Doherty MG, Scott A, Soerjomataram I, Tjønneland A, May AM, Ramón Quirós J, Pettersson-Kymmer U, Brenner H, Schöttker B, Ordóñez- Mena JM, Karina Dieffenbach A, Eriksson S, Bøgeberg Mathiesen E, Njølstad I, Siganos G, Wilsgaard T, Boffetta P, Trichopoulos D, Trichopoulou A. Burden of Cancer in a Large Consortium of Prospective Cohorts in Europe. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2016;108(10). doi: 10.1093/jnci/djw127.
  10. Ordóñez-Mena JM, Schöttker B, Mons U, Jenab M, Freisling H, Bueno-de- Mesquita B, O'Doherty MG, Scott A, Kee F, Stricker BH, Hofman A, de Keyser CE, Ruiter R, Söderberg S, Jousilahti P, Kuulasmaa K, Freedman ND, Wilsgaard T, de Groot LC, Kampman E, Håkansson N, Orsini N, Wolk A, Nilsson LM, Tjønneland A, Pająk A, Malyutina S, Kubínová R, Tamosiunas A, Bobak M, Katsoulis M, Orfanos P, Boffetta P, Trichopoulou A, Brenner H; Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES). Quantification of the smoking-associated cancer risk with rate advancement periods: meta-analysis of individual participant data from cohorts of the CHANCES consortium. BMC Med. 2016;14:62. doi: 10.1186/s12916-016-0607-5.
  11. Schöttker B, Rathmann W, Herder C, Thorand B, Wilsgaard T, Njølstad I, Siganos G, Mathiesen EB, Saum KU, Peasey A, Feskens E, Boffetta P, Trichopoulou A, Kuulasmaa K, Kee F, Brenner H; CHANCES group. HbA1c levels in non-diabetic older adults - No J-shaped associations with primary cardiovascular events, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality after adjustment for confounders in a meta-analysis of individual participant data from six cohort studies. BMC Med. 2016;14:26. doi: 10.1186/s12916-016-0570-1.
  12. O'Doherty MG, Cairns K, O'Neill V, Lamrock F, Jørgensen T, Brenner H, Schöttker B, Wilsgaard T, Siganos G, Kuulasmaa K, Boffetta P, Trichopoulou A, Kee F. Effect of major lifestyle risk factors, independent and jointly, on life expectancy with and without cardiovascular disease: results from the Consortium on Health and Ageing Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES). Eur J Epidemiol. 2016;31(5):455-68. doi: 10.1007/s10654-015-0112-8.
  13. Müezzinler A, Mons U, Gellert C, Schöttker B, Jansen E, Kee F, O'Doherty MG, Kuulasmaa K, Freedman ND, Abnet CC, Wolk A, Håkansson N, Orsini N, Wilsgaard T, Bueno-de-Mesquita B, van der Schouw YT, Peeters PHM, de Groot LCPGM, Peters A, Orfanos P, Linneberg A, Pisinger C, Tamosiunas A, Baceviciene M, Luksiene D, Bernotiene G, Jousilahti P, Petterson-Kymmer U, Jansson JH, Söderberg S, Eriksson S, Jankovic N, Sánchez MJ, Veronesi G, Sans S, Drygas W, Trichopoulou A, Boffetta P, Brenner H. Smoking and All-cause Mortality in Older Adults: Results From the CHANCES Consortium. Am J Prev Med. 2015;49(5):e53-e63. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2015.04.004.
  14. Ordóñez-Mena JM, Schöttker B, Fedirko V, Jenab M, Olsen A, Halkjær J, Kampman E, de Groot L, Jansen E, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Peeters PH, Siganos G, Wilsgaard T, Perna L, Holleczek B, Pettersson-Kymmer U, Orfanos P, Trichopoulou A, Boffetta P, Brenner H. Pre-diagnostic vitamin D concentrations and cancer risks in older individuals: an analysis of cohorts participating in the CHANCES consortium. Eur J Epidemiol. 2016;31(3):311-23. doi: 10.1007/s10654-015-0040-7.
  15. Mons U, Müezzinler A, Gellert C, Schöttker B, Abnet CC, Bobak M, de Groot L, Freedman ND, Jansen E, Kee F, Kromhout D, Kuulasmaa K, Laatikainen T, O'Doherty MG, Bueno-de-Mesquita B, Orfanos P, Peters A, van der Schouw YT, Wilsgaard T, Wolk A, Trichopoulou A, Boffetta P, Brenner H; CHANCES Consortium. Impact of smoking and smoking cessation on cardiovascular events and mortality among older adults: meta-analysis of individual participant data from prospective cohort studies of the CHANCES consortium. BMJ. 2015;350:h1551. doi: 10.1136/bmj.h1551.
  16. Benetou V, Orfanos P, Feskanich D, Michaëlsson K, Pettersson-Kymmer U, Ahmed LA, Peasey A, Wolk A, Brenner H, Bobak M, Wilsgaard T, Schöttker B, Saum KU, Bellavia A, Grodstein F, Klinaki E, Valanou E, Papatesta EM, Boffetta P, Trichopoulou A. Education, marital status, and risk of hip fractures in older men and women: the CHANCES project. Osteoporos Int. 2015;26(6):1733-46. doi: 10.1007/s00198-015-3054-9.
  17. Boffetta P, Bobak M, Borsch-Supan A, Brenner H, Eriksson S, Grodstein F, Jansen E, Jenab M, Juerges H, Kampman E, Kee F, Kuulasmaa K, Park Y, Tjonneland A, van Duijn C, Wilsgaard T, Wolk A, Trichopoulos D, Bamia C, Trichopoulou A. The Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES) project--design, population and data harmonization of a large- scale, international study. Eur J Epidemiol. 2014;29(12):929-36. doi: 10.1007/s10654-014-9977-1.
  18. O'Doherty MG, Jørgensen T, Borglykke A, Brenner H, Schöttker B, Wilsgaard T, Siganos G, Kavousi M, Hughes M, Müezzinler A, Holleczek B, Franco OH, Hofman A, Boffetta P, Trichopoulou A, Kee F. Repeated measures of body mass index and C-reactive protein in relation to all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease: results from the consortium on health and ageing network of cohorts in Europe and the United States (CHANCES). Eur J Epidemiol. 2014;29(12):887-97. doi: 10.1007/s10654-014-9954-8.


Financial/grant information:

European Commission within the Seventh Framework Programme