Imagine that we could detect early warning signs in your body, even before symptoms of the disease occur. Imagine that we could prevent or reverse the development of chronic diseases. Imagine that personal prevention would be possible.
With the I AM frontier study VITO Health has started the I AM my healthTM programme, in which we are taking the first steps in a transition: keep people healthy instead of them going for medical advice when symptoms occur.
Curious about how we do this and what this means? Then take a look at our brand new website:
I AM frontier
VITO Health has recently launched a groundbreaking study in which thirty employees are turned inside out, figuratively speaking: a cohort study called I AM frontier. For 18 months the health of the participants is monitored by measuring the continuum from genotype to phenotype and by collection information about lifestyle & environment. This is carried out by taking regular blood, urine, stool and even hair samples. We then use these samples to simultaneously map the thousands of components that make up a biological system (such as genes, proteins and metabolites). In short, the complete biological complexity is mapped out and, more importantly, monitored over time. The research has received an investment of 1.3 million euros.
I AM my health
The I AM frontier study is a first step in the het I AM my healthTM programme by VITO Health. In this research programme, we focus on preventive health care, based on a personalized approach. With this programme, VITO Health wants to gain new insights into the relationship between physical health, underlying biological processes, lifestyle and environment. The research design is unique and differs a great deal from conventional health studies, where a snapshot is generally created of a very large population and where correlations are sought by using statistics. In the I AM my healthTM programme, we work longitudinally. This means that we search evolutions in time within individuals and analyze the interactions between all these biological components at different levels. The I AM frontier pilot study has 'only' thirty participants, which of course means that it is not representative for the general population. However we do this in order to study the methodology behind such a study in detail now, and to find solutions for numerous challenges, such as sampling, data analysis, communication with participants and the logistics organization, with a view to scaling it up later.
VITO Health
Designing and executing this type of research in our DNA. VITO Health can build on more than twenty years of experience in molecular measurements, as well as in environmental and health studies among the general population that examine the effect of chemicals on health.
