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AlzRisk Cohort Detail
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Cohort: Italian Longitudinal Study on Ageing
Risk Factors:

Introduction to the Cohort
The ILSA aimed to evaluate the prevalence and incidence of chronic diseases and age-associated physical and mental changes in the elderly Italian population and to identify their risk factors. In 1992, investigators recruited 5632 community-dwelling and institutionalized participants aged 65-84 years from demographic lists of eight municipalities from the Northern, Central and Southern regions of Italy and followed them up for approximately 3.5 years. The investigators selected equal numbers of participants in each gender and five-year age group (65-69 years, 70-74 years, 75-80 years and 80-84 years). The study consisted of a baseline survey conducted in 1992-1993 and a second follow-up survey conducted in 1995-1996. Investigators assessed the hospitalization and cause-specific mortality rates in the interim period.

Ethnicity Breakdown
All participants were Italian.

Diagnosis & Evaluation Methods
The baseline and follow-up surveys consisted of two phases. The first included a personal interview, physical exam, and laboratory tests. These included a MMSE, the Italian version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) and performance tests. The investigators restricted the second phase of the study to participants who screened positive in the first phase of suspected diseases and disorders, and clinically confirmed these diseases via a specialist exam and medical records review.

For a detailed description, see Maggi et al. 1994.

References
Maggi S, Zuchetto M, Grigoletto F, Baldereschi M, Candelise L, Scarpini E, Scarleto G, Amsducci L. The Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA): design and methods. Aging (Milano);1994 Dec;6(6):464-73.

Solfirzzi V, Scafato E, Papurso C, D'Introno A, Colacicco AM, Frisardi V, Vendemiale G, Baldereschi M, Crepaldi G, Di Carlo A, Galluzzo L, Gandin C, Inzitari D, Maggi S, Capurso A, Panza F. Metabolic syndrome and the risk of vascular dementia: the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry;2010;81(4):433-40.