Leiden 85-plus Study

Leiden research into ageing has its roots in the 85-plus study for which the sampling started in 1987. The initiative became scientifically more productive when data on survival were added to this originally cross-sectional survey, and, after the inclusion of a second cohort in 1997.
Over the last couple of years, with the Leiden 85-plus study ever gaining statistical power as time goes by, we have found convincing arguments that trade offs exists in the regulation of human life histories that were predicted by evolutionary theory and, as our data show, appear to be present under contemporary, affluent conditions also. these trade offs are of utmost importance as they determine the occurrence or absence of numerous diseases in middle and old age, i.e. the rate of ageing. Few of the signalling mechanisms that are important for life history regulation in model organisms are evolutionary conserved and we were the first to show that variation in the insulin-signalling pathway is associated with human lifespan. 

For information on the Leiden 85-plus Study you can contact Dr. A.J.M. de Craen

More information on the Leiden 85-plus Study can be found at  LangLeven.net/Leiden 85-plus Studie (only available in Dutch)