Leader: Fulvio Ricceri (UPO/UNITO); Other collaborator(s):
In this task we will implement the risk-based personalized prevention in the EPIC-Turin cohort, a study that recruited 10.604 patients in the period 1993-1998 for which lifestyle and dietary information and blood samples stored in liquid nitrogen are available. In this cohort we will compute a bio-social risk of unhealthy ageing, combining social and lifestyle factors with several biomarkers that will be measured in the stored blood samples (metabolomics, senescence associated secretory phenotype, epigenetic clock,…). Then, we will recall the subjects and we will propose them the risk-based prevention programs of healthy ageing identified in task 3.1 and developed in task 3.2 in order to have a real-evidence evaluation of their efficacy.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
The cascade call for EPIC Turin recall was published. All the ethical and management issues for the recall have been prepared, including a protocol for recall (questionnaires, informed consent, blood retreival and storage). A literature review about the following issues has started: 1) definition of healthy ageing; 2) psyco-biological stratification of population for differential healthy ageing; 3) personalized prevention strategies.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The translation into policies for personalized prevention will be developed after the recruitment of the second wave of EPIC-Turin, when evidence will be provided of the efficacy of personalized prevention.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Participation in a preliminary meeting to define a strategy to identify the possible research products of Spoke 10. The meeting took place in Venice, during the Age-It General Meeting (20-22 May 2024).
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
Presentation of the Spoke 10 at the meeting “Agevity" organized by Bocconi University, where several stakeholder of silver economy were present.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The systematic review on definitions of healthy aging has shown the importance of arriving at shared definitions that can be used in health promotion policies. In addition, the ongoing review on stratified prevention strategies is highlighting the paucity of research in this area, which is particularly important for personalized prevention policy delel efforts.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The systematic review on definitions of healthy aging has shown the importance of arriving at shared definitions that can be used in health promotion policies. In addition, the ongoing review on stratified prevention strategies is highlighting the paucity of research in this area, which is particularly important for personalized prevention policy delel efforts.
Brief description of the activities and of the intermediate results
1. The manuscript Catalano et al: “Definitions of healthy ageing used in RTCs: a systematic review” is now under review at the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.
2. The systematic review titled “Prevention interventions stratified by risk of Healthy Aging in older adults: A Systematic Review” is ready to be submitted.
Based on the 166 studies included in the systematic review, it emerged that interventions implemented by researchers primarily focused on 11 subgroups of older adults: those with physical impairments, frailty or pre-frailty, clinical conditions, hearing loss, cognitive impairments, mental disorders, varying body weight profiles, specific levels of physical activity, nutritional issues, low or high socioeconomic status, and (non-) smoking habits. Most interventions involved physical and cognitive training, nutritional support, medical care, education, or were multicomponent, combining several of these approaches. The most frequently assessed outcomes included physical and cognitive performance, clinical and biological parameters, body composition, well-being, and mental health.
This research highlighted that the type of intervention most commonly implemented tended to vary according to the specific characteristics of the target subgroup. Benefits were often observed in the outcomes where individuals showed the greatest vulnerability. For example, participants with physical impairments were mainly offered physical activity-based interventions, which led to significant improvements in physical performance. Similarly, those with cognitive impairments were typically involved in cognitive training programs aimed at enhancing cognitive function.
3. The recall of participants from the EPIC Turin cohort is currently underway following the cascading call. Recalled participants were administered questionnaires to assess socio-demographic characteristics, nutritional status, physical activity, and fatigue. In addition, participants underwent tests to evaluate frailty (Sit to Stand, Walking Speed, Time Up and Go), muscle function (Hand Grip Strength), and levels of anxiety (GAD-7) and depression (PHQ-9). Furthermore, each participant underwent a blood draw, which may be useful for future evaluation of certain biochemical and inflammatory parameters.
4. For the second general meeting of the AGE-IT project, which will be held in Naples from October 29 to 31, 2025, two different abstracts have been submitted: "Prevention Interventions Stratified by Risk of Healthy Aging in Older Adults: A Systematic Review", by Dr. Alberto Catalano, and "Clarifying Healthy Ageing: Building a Common Language for Policy Innovation within the AGE-IT Project", by Professor Fulvio Ricceri.
Main policy, industrial and scientific implications
The systematic review on definitions of healthy aging has shown the importance of arriving at shared definitions that can be used in health promotion policies. Moreover, the second systematic review on stratified prevention strategies highlights the paucity of research in this area. At the same time, it underscores the importance of promoting healthy aging through personalized interventions, programs, and policies, as these approaches tend to have a greater positive impact on older adults, enabling them to live more years of their lives in better living conditions.
- Submission of the manuscript Catalano et al: “Definitions of healthy ageing used in RTCs: a systematic review”.
- The manuscript Catalano et al. “Prevention interventions stratified by risk of Healthy Aging in older adults: A Systematic Review” is ready to be submitted.