LASA

Infrastructure and User Services 

The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) is a large-scale research infrastructure designed to study aging in the Netherlands.

i) Infrastructure: Equipment, Facilities, Data, and Collections

LASA maintains extensive data collections from thousands of older adults, covering physical, cognitive, emotional, and social aspects of aging. These include questionnaires, clinical measurements, biological samples (e.g., blood and DNA), and cognitive tests. The study also collects data on lifestyle, healthcare use, and socioeconomic factors. Data is gathered through home visits, telephone interviews, and medical assessments. The infrastructure ensures high-quality, standardized data collection across multiple waves, enabling long-term comparisons.

ii) Services to Users

LASA provides researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals access to its rich dataset to study aging-related topics. The study offers data-sharing services, methodological support, and collaboration opportunities for both national and international research projects. LASA data is available under strict ethical and privacy guidelines, ensuring responsible use. Researchers can request specific datasets for secondary analyses or collaborate with LASA experts on tailored research projects. The study also supports research for policy recommendations, helping to improve healthcare and social policies for older adults.

Examples/description of the type of research 

The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) facilitates a wide range of research on aging, covering physical, mental, emotional, and social aspects of older adults' lives. LASA supports epidemiological, biomedical, social, and psychological research on aging by providing high-quality longitudinal data. Researchers use LASA data to study age-related health conditions, including chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes), mobility limitations, and frailty. The study also enables research on cognitive aging, dementia, and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. From a social perspective, the infrastructure makes it possible to conduct research on determinants and consequences of social changes and various forms of social and societal participation (e.g., volunteering, informal caregiving, work, cultural participation). LASA facilitates multidisciplinary research by providing long-term, high-quality data to scientists worldwide. The study helps shape health policies, intervention programs, and social strategies, ultimately improving the lives of older adults and informing future aging research.

Examples of key research themes that are facilitated by LASA are: i. Physical Health & Functioning – Examining changes in physical fitness, mobility, frailty and disease development over time; ii. Cognitive Aging – Investigating memory, decision-making, cognitive decline and demential onset; iii. Mental & Emotional Well-being – Studying depression, loneliness, and resilience in older adults; iv. Social Networks & Support – Understanding the impact of family, friends, and community on well-being and care use; v. Genetics & Biomarkers – Using biological samples to explore genetic and physiological aspects of aging.

How to access the infrastructure? 

Data are made directly accessible by sending datafiles using secure methods. Data will only be sent on the condition that an analysisproposal has been submitted and approved by the evaluation committee and a Data Sharing Agreement is signed between institutions.