[What is about Iceland--is not in Iceland].
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Iceland↗
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[The Annual Medical Conference in Iceland: An opportunity for physicians to advance medical care in Iceland [Editorial].].
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Journal Article↗
[The annual meeting of the icelandic surgical society and the icelandic society of anestiologists [Editorial].].
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Journal Article↗
Prevalence and inheritance of hip osteoarthritis in Iceland.
The purpose of this study was to: (I) assess the prevalence of hip osteoarthritis (OA) in Iceland and compare it with that in Southern Scandinavia, (II) determine the incidence of total hip replacement (THR) for primary OA in Iceland, (III) compare two different methods for defining radiographic hip OA, (IV) assess in a population-wide study in Iceland the genetic contribution t hip OA leading to THR, and (V) perform a genome-wide scan of a large Icelandic family to identify a chromosomal susceptibility locus for hip OA leading to THR. many Icelandic patients with hip OA have been well aware that this disease "goes in the family". by examining a large proportion of all Icelandic colon radiographs taken 1990-1996 the prevalence of radiographic hip OA in Iceland was found to be at least five-fold higher compared to Swedish and Danish studies that have used the same methods. A comparison of two methods for estimating hip OA from colon radiographs showed that a simple quantitative method of measuring joint space was more reliable than a qualitative method. The age-standardized incidence of THR for primary hip OA in Iceland between 1982 and 1996 was estimated and found to be about 50 percent higher than for Sweden. The higher Icelandic prevalence of hip OA may explain most of this difference. To investigate the contribution of heritability to hip OA leading to THR, information from two population-wide database in Iceland was combined: A national registry of THR between 1972 and 1996, and a genealogy database of all Icelandic genealogy records for the last 11 centuries made available by deCode Genetics. The genetic contribution to THR for OA was assessed by (a) identifying familial clusters of THR for OA, (b) applying the minimum founder test (MFT) to estimate the minimum number of ancestors to account for all patients with THR for OA, compared to the average number of founders for control lists, (c) calculating an average pairwise kinship coefficient (KC) for the patient and control lists, (d) estimating the relative risk (RR) for relatives of patients with THR for OA. A large number of familial clusters of patients with THR for OA were identified. MFT showed that OA patients descended from fewer founders than the control groups. The average pairwise KC among patients with OA was greater than in the population. RR for siblings of THR for OA patients was 3.05 (2.52, 3.10). Icelandic patients with THR for OA are thus significantly more related to each other than are matched controls. These findings support a significant genetic contribution to a common form of OA and encourages the search for genes conferring an increased susceptibility to OA. New techniques now make it possible to search the whole human genome for chromosomal susceptibility loci associating with OA. A genome wide scan was done to identify susceptibility loci for hip OA leading to THR, using DNA from a large Icelandic family with a very high prevalence of primary hip OA. A genome locus with a lod score of 2.58 was identified on chromosome 16p. A similar locus has been reported on from England. This is the first instance where what may be the same susceptibility locus for OA is independently described in two different populations with hip OA. We have identified other families with hip OA which link to the studied family and are continuing an expanded genome-wide scan. Continued studies of the kind outlined here will clarify the complex genetic background of OA and identify genetic variation associated with the disease. In addition to improving our understanding of the pathogenesis of OA and identifying new molecular targets for treatment, this will allow a better insight into the interactions between genetic background and environmental factors that initiate and drive OA.
Adult↗
Composition of the founding population of Iceland: biological distance and morphological variation in early historic Atlantic Europe.
We examined the composition of the founding population of Iceland through the study of morphological traits in skeletons from Iceland, Ireland, Norway, and Greenland. This is the first study to address this issue from the Settlement Period of Iceland and contemporary samples from Ireland. We pose the following questions: 1) Was the founding population of Iceland of mixed or homogeneous origin? 2) Is there evidence for a significant Irish cohort in the founding population, as suggested in medieval Icelandic literature? Analysis of biodistance revealed that both Settlement Age and later samples from Iceland showed a greater degree of phenetic similarity to contemporary Viking Age Norwegians than to samples obtained from early medieval Ireland. Analysis of among-individual morphological variation showed that the Settlement Age population of Iceland did not exhibit an increase in variation in comparison to other populations in the sample, suggesting a relatively homogenous origin. However, estimation of admixture between the Irish and Norwegian populations indicated that 66% of the Icelandic settlers were of Norwegian origin. Comparison of the Icelandic samples to hybrid samples produced by resampling the Viking Age Norwegian and early medieval Irish samples revealed that the Icelandic samples are much closer to the Norwegian samples than expected, based on a 66:34 mixture of Norwegian and Irish settlers. We conclude that the Settlement Age population of Iceland was predominantly (60-90%) of Norwegian origin. Although this population was relatively homogenous, our results do not preclude significant contributions from Ireland as well as other sources not represented in our analysis.
Bone and Bones↗
Origin and population structure of the Icelanders.
The Norse and Celtic contributions to the founding population of Iceland have been estimated previously on a pan-Icelandic basis using gene frequency data for the entire island. Accounts of the settlement of Iceland, however, suggest that different regions received different proportions of Norse and Celtic settlers, indicating the need to incorporate geographic variation into Icelandic admixture studies. A formal likelihood ratio test rejects the null hypothesis of regional homogeneity in admixture proportions. Here, regional admixture estimates for Iceland are reported; they are in agreement with the settlement pattern inferred from historical accounts. The western, northern, and southern regions of Iceland exhibit a moderate Celtic component, consistent with historical indications that these regions were settled by Norse Vikings from the British Isles, accompanied by Celtic wives and slaves. Eastern Iceland, believed to have been settled chiefly by Vikings from Scandinavia, is characterized by a large Norse component of admixture. The northwestern peninsula is also found to be predominantly Norse. Regional genetic data are used to elucidate the contemporary population structure of Iceland. The observed structure correlates well with patterns of Icelandic geography, history, economy, marriage, urbanization, and internal migration. The northeastern region is strongly isolated, the urbanized areas of the north and southwest are representative of the overall population, and the remaining regions exhibit small-scale variation about the genetic central tendency. A high level of genetic homogeneity is indicated (RST = 0.0005), consistent with the high internal migration rate of the Icelanders. A regression of mean per-locus heterozygosity on distance from the gene frequency centroid reveals a greater than average external gene flow into the eastern region, whereas the northwestern peninsula has received less than average external gene flow. Iceland is compared with possible founding populations and was found to have diverged markedly from other northern European countries.
Emigration and Immigration↗
[Access to transplantation organs in Iceland.].
After the first kidney transplantation into an Icelandic patient in 1970 and until 1993 Iceland was dependent upon the Nordic institution Scandiatransplant for transplantation of cadaveric kidneys. During that period 40 cadaveric kidneys were transplanted into Icelandic patients at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. The first liver was transplanted into an Icelander in London in 1985 and two in addition until 1993. The first heart was also transplanted into an Icelandic patient in London in 1988 and additional two until 1993. In 1991 the Icelandic parliament passed laws on the definition of death and procurement of organs for transplantation. This made it possible to provide organs to the Scandiatransplant collaboration. In 1993 a contract was made with the Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg in which Sahlgrenska was committed to transplant necroorgans into Icelandic patients as well as to procurement of organs when available in Iceland. This cooperation lasted until the end of 1996 when a similar agreement was made with Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen. From 1993-1999 altogether 28 necroorgan transplantations were performed on Icelanders (three hearts, three hearts and lungs, three lungs, seven livers and 12 kidneys). During the same period organs were procured 24 times. Transplantation of kidneys from living Icelandic donors has increased dramatically constituting 69% of all kidney transplantations 1990-1999. Living donor transplantations into Icelanders were altogether 56 at the end of 1999.
English Abstract↗
Plasma fatty acids and lipids in two separate, but genetically comparable, Icelandic populations.
Levels of serum lipids and lipoproteins, and the fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids, were measured in two genetically comparable, but widely separated, populations. The 1975 mortality rates for ischemic heart disease were significantly higher in one of these populations, the Manitoban residents of pure Icelandic descent, than in the other, a rural population from Northeastern Iceland. Two study populations, Icelanders and Icelandic-Canadians, were drawn from these larger populations. The study populations were matched for age and sex and divided into three age groups, 20-39, 40-59, and 60-69 years. In comparison to the Icelandic-Canadians, the Icelanders exhibited significantly higher levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but lower triglyceride levels. Their plasma phospholipids contained significantly lower levels of saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids, and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA); but their n-3 PUFA levels were three times as high. It was additionally found that fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids differed among Icelanders of different ages. SFA levels were significantly lower, and n-6 PUFA levels significantly higher, in the 20-39 year group than in the 60-69 year group, possibly due to different dietary fat consumption patterns between generations. No corresponding age-related difference in the fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids was found in the Icelandic-Canadian study population. As the Icelandic and Icelandic-Canadian groups are assumed to be genetically similar, the biochemical differences between them are evidently due to environmental, probably dietary, differences. The findings indicate that n-3 PUFA may be cardioprotective in the context of an otherwise atherogenic diet.
Adult↗
Trends in teenage fertility, abortion, and pregnancy rates in Iceland compared with other Nordic countries, 1976-99.
BACKGROUND: Iceland is often considered very similar to the other Nordic countries. The purpose of this study was to explore trends in teenage fertility, abortion, and pregnancy rates in Iceland, compare these trends with corresponding rates in Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden during the period 1976-99, and to evaluate similarities and dissimilarities. METHODS: The study is based on data about fertility, abortion, and pregnancy rates obtained from the Icelandic and Nordic national population and abortion registers for the age group 15-19 years years. RESULTS: Teenage fertility and pregnancy rates in the five Nordic countries declined over the study period by 57-67% and 31-50%, respectively, and in Iceland they remained significantly higher than in the Nordic countries. In 1999 almost every other teenage pregnancy in Iceland (45.9/1000) resulted in a childbirth (24.4/1000). Regional fertility rates were highest in the countryside. While the abortion rate has been declining in the four Nordic countries by 20-41%, they have concurrently been rising in Iceland by 133% (9.4/1000 in 1976-80, 21.9/1000 in 1996-99) and are presently higher than in the other Nordic countries. Regionally, abortion rates in Iceland were highest in the Capital area. CONCLUSIONS: The teenage pregnancy rate is higher in Iceland than in the other Nordic countries. This may be explained by cultural norms in Iceland's society regarding childbearing, early initiation of sexual intercourse, more limited sex education, and less effective delivery and use of contraceptive methods. There is a need to promote sexual and reproductive health to young people in Iceland by combining diverse preventive approaches.
Abortion, Induced↗
Prevalence of seasonal affective disorder in Iceland.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate seasonal patterns in mood and behavior and estimate the prevalence of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder (S-SAD) in the Icelandic population. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A random sample generated from the Icelandic National Register, consisting of 1000 men and women aged 17 to 67 years from all parts of Iceland. It represents 6.4 per million of the Icelandic population in this age group. DESIGN: The Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire, an instrument for investigating mood and behavioral changes with the seasons, was mailed to a random sample of the Icelandic population. The data were compared with results obtained with similar methods in populations in the United States. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Seasonality score and prevalence rates of seasonal affective disorder and subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder. RESULTS: The prevalence of SAD and S-SAD were estimated at 3.8% and 7.5%, respectively, which is significantly lower than prevalence rates obtained with the same method on the east coast of the United States (chi 2 = 9.29 and 7.3; P < .01). The standardized rate ratios for Iceland compared with the United States were 0.49 and 0.63 for SAD and S-SAD, respectively. No case of summer SAD was found. CONCLUSIONS: Seasonal affective disorder and S-SAD are more common in younger individuals and among women. The weight gained by patients during the winter does not seem to result in chronic obesity. The prevalence of SAD and S-SAD was lower in Iceland than on the East Coast of the United States, in spite of Iceland's more northern latitude. These results are unexpected since the prevalence of these disorders has been found to increase in more northern latitudes. The Icelandic population has remained remarkably isolated during the past 1000 years. It is conceivable that persons with a predisposition to SAD have been at a disadvantage and that there may have been a population selection toward increased tolerance of winter darkness.
Adolescent↗
Haplotype analysis in Icelandic and Finnish BRCA2 999del5 breast cancer families.
The 999del5 mutation is the single, strong BRCA2 founder mutation in Iceland and the most common BRCA1/2 founder mutation in Finland. To evaluate the origin and time since spreading of the 999del5 mutation in Iceland and in Finland, we constructed haplotypes with polymorphic markers within and flanking the BRCA2 gene in a set of 18 Icelandic and 10 Finnish 999del5 breast cancer families. All Icelandic families analysed shared a common core haplotype of about 1.7 cM. The common ancestors for the Icelandic families studied were estimated to trace back to 340-1000 years, not excluding the possibility that the mutation was brought to Iceland during the settlement of the country. Analysis of the Finnish families revealed two distinct haplotypes. A rare one, found in three families in the old settlement region in southwestern Finland, shared a four-marker (0.5 cM) core haplotype with the Icelandic 999del5 haplotype. A distinct approximately 6 cM haplotype was shared by seven 999del5 Finnish families estimated to have a common ancestry 140-300 years ago. These families cluster in two geographical regions in Finland, in the very same area as those with the rare haplotype and also in the most eastern, late settlement region of Finland. The results may indicate a common ancient origin for the 999del5 mutation in Iceland and in Finland, but distinct mutational events cannot be ruled out. The surprising finding of the same mutation in two completely different haplotypes in a sparsely populated area in Finland may suggest gene conversion.
Breast Neoplasms↗
Adverse reactions to food and food allergy in young children in Iceland and Sweden.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of adverse reactions to food and food allergy in Icelandic and Swedish 18-month-old children. DESIGN: Prospective multicentre comparative study. SETTING: Primary health care centres in Sweden and Iceland. SUBJECTS: A total of 324 children in Iceland and 328 in Sweden who attended for regular 18-month check-up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Adverse reaction to food according to questionnaire, and food allergy according to skin prick tests and double blind food challenge tests. RESULTS: Adverse reactions to food were reported in 27% of children in Iceland and 28% in Sweden. Food allergy was confirmed in 2.0% in both countries. Allergy among other family members was reported in 45% of the Icelandic children and 62% in the Swedish (p < 0.001). Indoor smoking was reported by 30% of the Icelandic families and 3% of the Swedish. Respiratory infections were reported significantly more often in Icelandic children than Swedish. CONCLUSION: Adverse reactions to food and food allergy were similar in Icelandic and Swedish children. At the age of 18 months one can expect to confirm food allergy in approximately one out of 15 children with reported adverse reactions to food.
Food Hypersensitivity↗
mtDNA and the origin of the Icelanders: deciphering signals of recent population history.
Previous attempts to investigate the origin of the Icelanders have provided estimates of ancestry ranging from a 98% British Isles contribution to an 86% Scandinavian contribution. We generated mitochondrial sequence data for 401 Icelandic individuals and compared these data with >2,500 other European sequences from published sources, to determine the probable origins of women who contributed to Iceland's settlement. Although the mean number of base-pair differences is high in the Icelandic sequences and they are widely distributed in the overall European mtDNA phylogeny, we find a smaller number of distinct mitochondrial lineages, compared with most other European populations. The frequencies of a number of mtDNA lineages in the Icelanders deviate noticeably from those in neighboring populations, suggesting that founder effects and genetic drift may have had a considerable influence on the Icelandic gene pool. This is in accordance with available demographic evidence about Icelandic population history. A comparison with published mtDNA lineages from European populations indicates that, whereas most founding females probably originated from Scandinavia and the British Isles, lesser contributions from other populations may also have taken place. We present a highly resolved phylogenetic network for the Icelandic data, identifying a number of previously unreported mtDNA lineage clusters and providing a detailed depiction of the evolutionary relationships between European mtDNA clusters. Our findings indicate that European populations contain a large number of closely related mitochondrial lineages, many of which have not yet been sampled in the current comparative data set. Consequently, substantial increases in sample sizes that use mtDNA data will be needed to obtain valid estimates of the diverse ancestral mixtures that ultimately gave rise to contemporary populations.
DNA, Mitochondrial↗
Molecular evolution in a multidrug-resistant lineage of Streptococcus pneumoniae: emergence of strains belonging to the serotype 6B Icelandic clone that lost antibiotic resistance traits.
Since their first detection in 1988, penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates have rapidly spread in Iceland to account for close to 20% of all pneumococcal disease in that country by 1993. The major component (70%) of the resistant pneumococci identified from 1989 to 1992 was the progeny of a single multidrug-resistant clone (Icelandic clone) with a homogeneous chromosomal macrorestriction profile and identical multilocus enzyme type expressing serotype 6B and resistance to penicillin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. The rest of the non-penicillin-susceptible isolates included bacteria with serotype 6A and serogroups 19 and 23. The unique geographic and epidemiological setting and the availability of a complete collection of all non-penicillin-susceptible isolates of S. pneumoniae in Iceland prompted us to carry out a molecular epidemiological study to monitor the fate of the Icelandic clone between 1989 and 1996; in addition, we wished to extend the characterization to representative groups of all non-penicillin-susceptible serotype 6B pneumococci which showed variations in antibiotype and which were recovered in Iceland between late 1989 and the end of 1996. Also included in the study were non-penicillin-susceptible isolates of serogroup 23. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of SmaI-restricted chromosomal DNA and Southern hybridization with the lytA DNA probe and probes specific for antibiotic resistance genes were used to characterize pneumococcal isolates. The results show that (i) the Icelandic clone remained the predominant type among penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae through 1996; (ii) the emergence of variants of the Icelandic clone which had lost one or more of the antibiotic resistance phenotypes and/or resistant genes, singly or in combination, was documented during the surveillance period; and (iii) isolates belonging to the internationally spread multidrug-resistant serotype 23F clone were present in the Icelandic collection since late 1989 but did not increase in number during the subsequent years.
Adult↗
Prevalence of hip osteoarthritis in Iceland.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of primary hip osteoarthritis (OA) in Iceland. To compare the prevalence of primary hip OA in Iceland with published rates of primary hip OA for related Scandinavian populations. METHODS: Roentgenographs were examined of 1530 Icelandic people 35 years or older (653 males, 877 females) subjected to colon radiography during the years 1990-1996. The radiographs examined represent approximately 40% of all colon radiographs taken in Iceland during this period. After exclusion of non-primary hip OA cases, the minimum hip joint space was measured with a mm ruler. Presence of hip OA was defined as a minimum joint space of 2.5 mm or less on an anteroposterior radiograph. Intraclass correlation coefficients for inter and intraobserver variability of assessment of mm joint space were 0.91 and 0.95, respectively. RESULTS: Of the 1517 people included, 227 hips in 165 patients (77 men, 88 women) were diagnosed as having radiological primary hip OA. The mean age at colon examination for these patients was 68 (35-89) years. The overall prevalence of coxarthrosis among all examined patients 35 years and older was 10.8% (12% for men, 10% for women), rising from 2% at 35-39 years to 35.4% for those 85 years or older. If the population structure (age and sex distribution) for those older than 35 years in Iceland was used to standardise prevalence for both Iceland and south Sweden (using previously published data for south Sweden), the age and sex standardised prevalence of hip OA for those older than 35 years in Iceland was 8%, compared with 1.2% for south Sweden. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of radiological primary hip OA is very high in Iceland, and in excess of fivefold higher than the prevalence found by using similar techniques in studies on related populations in southern Scandinavia. The rate difference is particularly notable for those younger than 70 years.
Adult↗
[European Community Respiratory Health Survey: The main results so far with special reference to Iceland.].
INTRODUCTION: The European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) was the first project embarked on extensive study of geographical difference between countries with regards to asthma and atopy incidence in a young adult population. The same methodology and definitions were used at all study sites. The purpose of this article is to review the published results of the ECRHS with a special emphasis on the findings from the Icelandic population, and compare these results with those from the participants from the other nations and study sites. METHODS: Compiled results from all study sites participating in the ECHRS hereto published were reviewed. The compiled data are derived from approximately 140.000 individuals aged 20-44 (birth-years 1946-71) from 22 nations and 48 study sites. The Icelandic population was chosen from the greater Reykjavik metropolitan area. Subjects responded to seven questions on respiratory symptoms, diagnosis of asthma and use of asthma medications. In the latter part of the investigation, 800 individuals were randomly selected from each study site. They were asked to respond to a detailed questionnaire. Subsequently spirometry, methacholine challange and skin prick testing to 11-12 common aeroallergens was performed. Additionally, allergen specific IgE and total IgE was measured. Somewhat fewer sites participated in this latter part: 17 nations and 37 study sites. RESULTS: The findings are presented from two angles: the compiled data from all study sites and the results from the Icelandic population; specifically comparing the Icelandic data with the participants from the other nations. The study showed a geographical difference in the incidence of asthma, bronchial hyper- responsiveness and other respiratory symptoms. In the first part of the study, an eight-fold difference in wheezing, six-fold difference in asthma, ten-fold difference in physician- diagnosed asthma and a four-fold difference in the prevalence of allergic rhinitis was found between the study sites. "English-speaking" nations had the highest prevalence of respiratory diseases and Iceland, Spain, Germany, Italy, Algeria and India had the lowest incidence. A three-fold difference in the prevalence of allergy and an eight-fold difference in bronchial responsiveness were found between study sites in the latter part of the study. The incidence of asthma was highest in the lower age groups. Atopy prevalence (defined as a positive specific IgE for at least one allergen) was highest in Australia. Other English speaking nations and Switzerland had prevalence over 40%. Iceland had the lowest prevalence of atopy (23.6%) and Greece, Norway and Italy all had a prevalence of atopy under 30%. Total IgE was highest in Greece, France, Ireland and Italy (>50kU/L), but was lowest in Iceland (13.2 kU/L). The article speculates on the possible effects of the environment on the prevalence of wheezing, bronchial reactivity and atopy in the different study sites. SUMMARY: RESULTS from the European Community Respiratory Health Survey demonstrate a substantial difference in the prevalence of asthma, bronchial responsiveness and atopy between study sites. The prevalence was highest in countries where English is the native language. Of all study sites, the prevalence was lowest in Iceland. In the articles, possible explanations for this discrepancy are reviewed.
English Abstract↗
Quantitative DNA perturbations of p53 in endometriosis: analysis of American and Icelandic cases.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate quantitative aberrations involving p53 copy numbers in eutopic endometrial and endometriotic tissue from two populations. DESIGN: Comparative analysis of normal and diseased tissue. SETTING: Tissue specimens collected in Iceland and USA. PATIENT(S): Subjects with moderate/severe endometriosis (Iceland, n = 26; USA, n = 45). Paraffin-embedded tissue from 19 matched Icelandic cases and seven unaffected controls. American cases were fresh surgical tissue from 17 matched cases and 28 unaffected controls. DNA isolation and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with TaqMan assay were performed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): The frequency of p53 loss and/or gain based on quantitative differences for copy numbers of p53 located on chromosome (17p) and GAPDH on a control locus (chromosome 12p). RESULT(S): Among American cases, significant p53 gain (n = 13) or loss (n = 4) was observed in 17 of 21 cases. In Icelandic cases this was not seen to the same degree. Mean normalized p53 values were 3.46 and 1.16 copies per reaction, respectively. Significant differences were observed between normalized p53 in the control blood and affected tissue for the American and Icelandic cases compared to standard GAPDH control but not in normal Icelandic and American endometrium. CONCLUSION(S): The results continue to support a role for nonrandom somatic p53 locus alterations in the pathogenesis of late or severe-stage endometriosis. Differences between Icelandic and American subjects have implications for generalization of genome-wide approaches.
DNA↗
Research on aging in Iceland: future potentials.
Iceland is a small but prototypic western society strategically located between mainland Europe and North America. Through private and public funding, Iceland is a model in the making for opportunities in research on aging. Its ethnically and socioeconomically homogenous population served by an advanced health care system has historically been exceptionally supportive and willing to participate in both trans-sectional and cohort studies. Interdisciplinary geriatric care is well established and Iceland was on of the first countries to adapt from the US, the resident assessment instrument (RAI), which makes comparison of long-term care between countries very feasible. Among a number of biotech companies recently established in Iceland is Deocode, a leading company in the field of linking genetic variation to diseases. A major population study on interactions between age, genes and environment (AGES) was launched by the Icelandic Heart Association in 2002 through support from the NIA and the Icelandic government. Ultimately, one may expect that a cutting edge aging research in Iceland will contribute to our understanding of how to maintain a better health, independence and active participation in later life.
Aged↗