BCS70 Age 46 Biomedical Sweep

Blood samples were collected from all willing participants, with cholesterol and glycated haemoglobin being measured.

Levels of cholesterol (total and high density lipoproteins (HDL)), a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and glycated haemoglobin, associated with the risk of diabetes, were measured. The remaining blood being stored for further analyses. The data collected will allow researchers to examine the links between social factors and these important biomarkers. Participants have also been asked for their consent to extract DNA from their stored blood, which will enable genetic research to be undertaken in the future.

Cohort members were asked to complete an online questionnaire detailing all they ate and drank in a 24-hour period.

The Age 46 Sweep collected detailed information about diet by asking participants to complete the OxfordWebQ, an online questionnaire developed by the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford to measure diet in large-scale studies. The questionnaire has been used in UK Biobank, the Million Women Study and the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study. Participants were asked to record all that they ate and drank in the 24-hour period prior to the day of completion. The questionnaire asked 21 screener questions covering major food groups, and positive responses are followed up with more detailed questions about particular food and beverage types. Nutrient intakes are automatically calculated by multiplying the quantity of each food consumed by its nutrient composition. Respondents are asked to complete the questionnaire about two randomly allocated days in the week following their visit (one week day and one day at the weekend). The data collected will allow for detailed exploration of the role of diet in determining an individual’s health in mid-life.