Lee David M, O'Neill Terence W, Pye Stephen R, Silman Alan J, Finn Joseph D, Pendleton Neil, Tajar Abdelouahid, Bartfai Gyorgy, Casanueva Felipe, Forti Gianni, Giwercman Aleksander, Huhtaniemi Ilpo T, Kula Krzysztof, Punab Margus, Boonen Steven, Vanderschueren Dirk, Wu Frederick C W
ARC Epidemiology Unit, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Int J Androl. 2009 Feb;32(1):11-24. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2008.00879.x. Epub 2008 Mar 5.
Life expectancy is increasing in most developed countries, in part due to improved socioeconomic conditions and in part to advances in healthcare. It is widely acknowledged that the promotion of healthy ageing by delaying, minimizing or preventing disabilities or diseases is one of the most important public health objectives in this century. In contrast to the menopausal transition in females, we know relatively little about the contribution of androgens and anabolic hormones to the quality of ageing in men. The European Male Ageing Study (EMAS) is a multicentre prospective cohort designed to examine the prevalence, incidence and geographical distribution of gender-specific and general symptoms of ageing in men, including their endocrine, genetic and psychosocial predictors. Men aged 40-79 years were recruited from eight European centres: Florence (Italy), Leuven (Belgium), Lodz (Poland), Malmö (Sweden), Manchester (UK), Santiago de Compostela (Spain), Szeged (Hungary) and Tartu (Estonia). Subjects were recruited from population registers and those who agreed to take part completed a detailed questionnaire including aspects of personal and medical history, lifestyle factors and sexual function. Objective measures of body size, cognition, vision, skeletal health and neuromuscular function were obtained. Blood and DNA specimens were collected for a range of biochemical and genetic analyses. After an average of 4 years, it is planned to resurvey the participants with similar assessments. A total of 3369 men with a mean age of 60 +/- 11 years were recruited. The mean centre response rate was 43%, and highest in those aged 50-59 years. Those who participated were marginally younger than those who were invited but declined to participate (60.0 vs. 61.1 years). Participants left education slightly later than a sample of non-participants, though there were no consistent differences in levels of general health, physical activity, or smoking. EMAS will provide new population-based data concerning the main features that characterize ageing in men and its critical determinants, particularly with reference to age-related changes in hormone levels. Such information is an important prerequisite to develop effective strategies to reduce age-related disabilities and optimise health and well-being into old-age.
在大多数发达国家，预期寿命正在延长，部分原因是社会经济条件的改善，部分原因是医疗保健的进步。人们普遍认为，通过延缓、最小化或预防残疾或疾病来促进健康老龄化是本世纪最重要的公共卫生目标之一。与女性的绝经过渡不同，我们对雄激素和合成代谢激素对男性衰老质量的影响了解相对较少。欧洲男性衰老研究（EMAS）是一项多中心前瞻性队列研究，旨在研究男性衰老的性别特异性和一般症状的患病率、发病率及地理分布，包括其内分泌、遗传和社会心理预测因素。年龄在40 - 79岁的男性从欧洲八个中心招募：佛罗伦萨（意大利）、鲁汶（比利时）、罗兹（波兰）、马尔默（瑞典）、曼彻斯特（英国）、圣地亚哥德孔波斯特拉（西班牙）、塞格德（匈牙利）和塔尔图（爱沙尼亚）。研究对象从人口登记册中招募，同意参与的人完成一份详细问卷，包括个人和病史、生活方式因素及性功能等方面。获取了身体尺寸、认知、视力、骨骼健康和神经肌肉功能的客观测量数据。采集血液和DNA样本用于一系列生化和基因分析。平均4年后，计划用类似评估方法对参与者进行再次调查。共招募了3369名平均年龄为60±11岁的男性。各中心的平均回应率为43%，在50 - 59岁年龄组中最高。参与研究的人比被邀请但拒绝参与的人略年轻（60.0岁对61.1岁）。参与者接受教育的时间比未参与者样本稍晚，不过在总体健康水平、身体活动或吸烟方面没有一致的差异。EMAS将提供基于人群的新数据，这些数据涉及男性衰老的主要特征及其关键决定因素，特别是与激素水平的年龄相关变化有关。这些信息是制定有效策略以减少与年龄相关的残疾并优化老年健康和福祉的重要前提。
