Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Aging and Diet

The HELIAD is a population-based, multidisciplinary, collaborative study designed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of AD, other dementias, mild cognitive impairment, and other neuropsychiatric conditions of aging in the Greek population and to investigate associations between nutrition and cognitive dysfunction/age-related neuropsychiatric diseases in this Mediterranean population.

The participants in the HELIAD study were selected through random sampling from community-dwelling individuals over the age of 65 years in the cities of Larissa (located in the province of Thessaly in Central Greece and Marousi (located within the Athens Metropolitan area). The targeted sample of enrolled participants comprised approximately 2,500 individuals. No weighting or stratified sampling (according to age, gender, or education) was performed. Follow-ups with face-to-face interviews at ~3 year intervals.

Last update – 01/02/2017

Types General population-based cohort
Participant Types No diagnosis
Countries Greece
Genders Male and Female
Sample sizes 0 to 4,999
Ages 60 to 100
Brain related measures Behaviour|Cognitive function|Mental health|Neurological
Funtional rating Individual physiological
Anthropometric Blood pressure|Height|Waist circumference|Weight
Physical Cardiovascular|Hearing and Vision|Reproductive
Biological samples Blood
Genotyping Gene screening
Brain imaging
Brain banking Consent for brain donation
Lifestyle Alcohol|Dietary habits|Physical activity|Smoking
Socio-economic Education|Ethnic group|Family circumstances|Housing and accommodation|Income and finances|Informal support|Marital status|Occupation and employment
Health service utilisation Formal health and social care service utilisation including private care
Institute names Eginition Hospital
Current Sample Sizes 0 to 4,999

age at recruitment >65
last updated
recruitment period 2011
estimated current sample size number value 2500
cohort acronym HELIAD
start date 2011
pi Nikolaos Scarmeas
website https://cheba.unsw.edu.au/content/hellenic-longitudinal-investigation-aging-and-diet
contact details Eginition Hospital,
72 Vasilisis Sofias Avenue,
Athens,
Greece,
11528
abstract  HELIAD is a population-based study designed to estimate the prevalence and incidence of neurodegenerative disease in the Greek population. Around 2,500 participants over 65 were recruited in 2011.
funders  Alzheimer’s Association
Athens Association of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders
ESPA-EU program Excellence Grant (ARISTEIA)
contact email PI Email: [email protected] Data Contact Lena Margioti: [email protected]
contact phone number 
estimated current sample size 0 to 4,999
sample sizes 2500