Objective
Age–related chronic diseases (ArCD) are complex non-linear processes that depends on a large number of interconnected genetic and metabolic pathways which should be tackled with a many faceted preventive strategy. Calorie-dense diet and sedentary lifestyle are responsible of the growing prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS), which, together with tobacco, is the major preventable cause of ArCD, mediated by the increased availability of insulin, growth factors, and inflammatory cytokines. In animals, calorie restriction (CR) is the most potent dietary intervention for preventing ArCD and prolonging life. In humans, we and others have shown that a sustainable CR, resulting in decreased prevalence of MetS, can be obtained through a comprehensive change in dietary habits, reducing animal food and refined carbohydrates, and increasing whole grain cereal products, legumes and vegetables, according to the Mediterranean and macrobiotic diet principles. Metformin (MET), an antidiabetic drug associated with decreased cancer incidence, activates the same gene pathways activated by CR, including AMPK/TSC, which reduces energy consuming processes, and cell proliferation (through the inhibition of mTOR). We propose a placebo controlled randomised trial to test whether treatment with MET, with or without associated CR, reduces the incidence of major chronic diseases, such as cancer, myocardial infarction, stroke, and diabetes. We estimated that randomizing 2,000 women and men aged 55-74 at high risk of developing ArCD because of MetS, shall provide over 90% power (at alpha = 0.05) to detect a significant 25 to 33% reduction of ArCD incidence in 5 years. In a subsample of the cohort we shall study the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms of the preventive action of metformin and CR.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine endocrinology diabetes
- medical and health sciences health sciences nutrition
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine oncology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine neurology stroke
- agricultural sciences agriculture, forestry, and fisheries agriculture grains and oilseeds legumes
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
ERC-2012-ADG_20120314
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Host institution
20133 Milan
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.