In the NCHA vision the public health at older ages can and should be improved. Healthy ageing research should primarily address the question: what factors keep people healthy up to a high age? What can we learn from their genetic and metabolic constitution, their life style and the interaction with environmental factors like food, exercise, sleep and their socio-economic status? In addition, can we get a better understanding the factors underlying the onset of unhealthy ageing and disease?

Can we use this knowledge in an integrated way to improve the health of those who are the less fortunate agers, by better prevention, care and cure?  NCHA is trying to find genes and to unravel metabolic processes related to longevity and age-related diseases. We also try to find out how environmental factors, including lifestyle, influence the ageing process and hope to discover keystones to answer the question: how can people live healthier for longer?

NCHA is started as an alliance between the Leiden University Medical Centre, the Erasmus Medical Centre and business partners Unilever, Philips, Galápagos and McRoberts. It recently expanded with the Wageningen University, the Groningen University Medical Centre, the Academic Medical Centre and the VU University and business partners Pfizer and DSM. NCHA is supported by the Netherlands Genomics Initiative.
 

International congress Adding healthy Years to the Human Lifespan on 7-8 February 2013 was a succes. Read more ►

Oldest Dutch twin sisters (101) in Dutch TV programme 'Altijd Wat'
On August 7 the Dutch broadcasting company NCRV interviewed two very old participants of the Leiden Longevity Study, the homozygotic twin sisters Nowee (101)... Read more ►

To what extent is ageing genetic? And what approaches are likely to be fruitful in future research on ageing and lifespan? Read the viewpoint of Professor Eline Slagboom, director of the Netherlands Consortium for Healthy Ageing, and five other leading researchers in this field in the newest release of Nature Reviews Genetics.

Designers and Artists for Genomics Award for NCHA with the contribution of 'Eat less, live more...and pray for beans' by Zack Denfeld and Cathrine Kramer. Read their blog 'Scientists versus Starbucks' ► The exposition is open for visitors between June 8 2012 and January 8 2013 in Naturalis, Leiden.

Nutrient sensing pathway kinase mTOR plays role in human health and longevity. Read more ►

Aging Cell paper: Skin from offspring of long-living families discloses its biological youth. Read more ►

Nature and Nature Genetics paper: Many new leads for blood pressure regulation are found in a really large genetic study. Read more 

Nature Genetics paper 'Discovery of genes underlying fracture susceptibility and the risk of osteoporosis' Read more 

Staying healthy with or without pills? Interview with two graduated PhD students.
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