title: The Rotterdam Study: 2012 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, endocrine, hepatic, neurological, ophthalmic, psychiatric, dermatological, oncological, and respiratory diseases. As of 2008, 14,926 subjects aged 45 years or over comprise the Rotterdam Study cohort. The findings of the Rotterdam Study have been presented in over a 1,000 research articles and reports (see www.erasmus-epidemiology.nl/rotterdamstudy ). This article gives the rationale of the study and its design. It also presents a summary of the major findings and an update of the objectives and methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. a.hofman@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: Cornelia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: van Duijn
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: M Arfan
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ikram
authors.forename: Harry L A
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Janssen
authors.forename: Caroline C W
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Klaver
authors.forename: Ernst J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kuipers
authors.forename: Tamar E C
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Nijsten
authors.forename: Bruno H Ch
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Stricker
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tiemeier
authors.forename: André G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Uitterlinden
authors.forename: Meike W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Vernooij
authors.forename: Jacqueline C M
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Witteman
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011157:Population Dynamics; D018570:Risk Assessment