The Rotterdam Study: objectives and design update

Abstract

The Rotterdam Study is a prospective cohort study ongoing since 1990 in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The study targets cardiovascular, neurological, ophthalmological and endocrine diseases. As of 2008 about 15,000 subjects aged 45 years or over comprise the Rotterdam Study cohort. The findings of the Rotterdam Study have been presented in some 600 research articles and reports (see http://www.epib.nl/rotterdamstudy). This article gives the reasons for the study and its design. It also presents a summary of the major findings and an update of the objectives and methods.

Fig. 1

Diagram of examination cycles of the Rotterdam Study (RS). RS1 refers to the baseline examination of the original cohort (pilot phase 07/1989-12/1989; cohort recruitment 01/1990-09/1993). RS2, RS3 and RS4 refer to re-examination of the original cohort members. RSPlus1 refers to the extension of the cohort with persons in the study district that became 55 years since the start of the study or those of 55 years or over that migrated into the study district. RSPlus2 refers to the re-examination of the extension cohort. RSYoung1 refers to the baseline examination of all persons aged 45 and over living in the study district that had not been examined (i.e. mainly comprising those aged 45–55 years)