This four-year project conducted in the Research Unit of Population Health at the University of Oulu will study how and why people develop more than one disease while aging. This health issue is called multi-morbidity and has grave public health consequences. Treating multi-morbidity is difficult as we do not know how the health issues are connected to each other or which issue to treat first. For example, in-clinic physicians often meet patients with obesity, diabetes, depression, dementia, hypertension, etc., that also require multiple medications. Nevertheless, evidence shows that multi-morbidity does not develop randomly and it could be prevented at least partially via the prevention of obesity. To study the best prevention methods, we will use data from birth cohorts collected up until age 60 to observe and measure how the multi-morbidity risk develops due to changes in body weight gain, genetic factors and molecular aging. The knowledge will be used in preventing multi-morbidity.

2023

2027