CHANCES (Consortium on Health and Ageing: Network of Cohorts in Europe and the United States) is a collaborative large scale integrating project funded by the European Commission within the Seventh Framework Programme.

The CHANCES research Consortium consists of 16 partners and 2 collaborators. The project is coordinated by Hellenic Health Foundation. The ageing of the world population is one of major global challenges of this century. For many people old age is associated with illness.

The challenge posed by population ageing makes it necessary to ensure that the extra years of life are as good as possible, without limited health and social involvement opportunities. Older people’ abilities to contribute to the society should never be underestimated, and no artificial or preventable barriers should limit them.

WHO has stressed that healthy ageing goes beyond avoidance of disease and disability. Successful ageing is defined as ageing involving freedom from disability along with high cognitive, physical and social functioning. The elderly have certain needs to be addressed and the governments, healthcare systems, and general public should be advised about those in details. Therefore well defined health determinants of ageing and its functional outcomes are crucial in order to improve overall health and quality of life of elderly. Furthermore, valid and precise data on health characteristics of ageing populations are essential to estimate their social and economic impact.

Chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis-related fractures have become leading cause of disability and mortality. The CHANCES project focuses on four groups of chronic diseases and conditions which are major contributors to the burden of disease in the elderly:

Cancer
Cardiovascular diseases and diabetes
Osteoporosis and fractures
Cognitive function and dementia disorders