LONG LIFE Family Study
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on any link to access more detailed information.
If you think your long-lived family
would like to participate,
please click on the button below to initiate the process!
What do researchers expect to learn from
LLFS? The goal of LLFS is to understand why some people live
until a very old age. We would like to learn if families with many long-lived
individuals share common characteristics or habits that might help others
live long, healthy lives, as well.
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Who can join the study? If you
or a family member is over the age of 79, with a living sibling also
over the age of 79, your family may be eligible to join the study! Because
this is a family study, we would like to enroll as many members of your
family as possible.
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What´s so special about my life?
It is not so unusual to be very old these days, but it is pretty rare
to have living brothers and sisters in old age, especially after 90
years of age. We are interested in studying these families to
find important clues about successful ageing.
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Why do you want to talk to my family members?
The more family members we are able to include, the better chance we
have to learn which characteristics are associated with your longevity.
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What if some of my family members are
not living in the area? It does not matter. We would like to
learn as much about your family as possible. We will make our best effort
to collect information from all members of your family, including those
who live nearby and those who are further away. We will try to see everyone
or we will collect information by mail and phone.
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What do I have to do and how long will it
take? We would ask you to participate in an in-person, two-hour
interview that we would conduct either in our clinic or in your home
at your convenience. During this visit, a trained clinical staff member
would ask you to complete several questionnaires and conduct some performance
and physical assessments. We will also request a blood sample to obtain
information about your genes. Genes contain information about you that
was inherited from your parents, and some of these genes may play a
role in your long life.
During this visit, you may refuse to participate in any part of the
study.
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How soon will results be known?
Because this study will be carried out over a period of 5 years, it
will take some time before all the information on families is collected
and analyzed. The scientific results of the study will be made public
once the information we obtain is carefully analyzed.
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What information will I receive from
this study? You will get the results from your blood tests
including total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, blood
glucose, triglycerides, and kidney function levels. You will also receive
results on your blood pressure, height, weight, grip strength and lung
function tests. You also will be notified if your test results
for hemoglobin levels, white blood cell count or platelet count are
extremely abnormal. If you wish, we will also notify your physician.
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Will the study doctors and staff take care
of my medical needs? No, LLFS will not provide health care
services or treatment. Your own doctor will continue to take care of
you. If any of your test results require medical attention, we will
notify you. At your request, we will also send the results to your personal
physician so that appropriate follow-up can take place.
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Are there any risks involved?
Your participation in this study involves minimal risk. There might
be a slight discomfort due to the blood test. However, we will take
every precaution using skilled technicians to obtain blood from you.
The study also involves routine medical questions and if you feel uncomfortable
answering any questions, you may choose to not answer them.
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What is the cost of participation?
There is no cost to participate except your time.We will compensate
you $25 for your time and participation upon completion of the in-person
visit.
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Who is sponsoring the LLFS?
The project was developed in collaboration with and supported by the
National Institute on Aging (NIA) located in Bethesda, Maryland.
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How can I find out more about the
LLFS? You can call the LLFS Recruitment Office toll free. We would be happy to tell you more about
the study and answer any questions you may have.
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I am interested in participating in
the study, but I don’t remember things as well as I used to.
Does that mean I can’t be part of the study? You
can still be part of the study even if you don´t remember everything
as you once did. For this study, there is no need to worry if
you can’t recall everything. Also, your children or other
relatives or friends are welcome to be present at the interview to support
you.
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I am not sure that
I can complete all the assessments. For example, I can’t
walk as well as I used to. Can I still participate? Yes.
All of our tests and measurements are specially designed for elderly
people, and we will not challenge you more than you would like.
If you should find some of our questions or tests too overwhelming,
we simply skip and go to the next one.
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What should I do to volunteer?
You can simply click here,
or contact
one of our research offices. Someone from the study will
contact you to answer you questions and to find out a little more about
your family.
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What if I decide to end my participation
in the LLFS? You have the right to stop participating in LLFS
at any time. We will make every effort to make participation as convenient
as possible. The success of this study will depend on the willingness
of individuals like you to participate in the study.
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Will my government benefits from Medicare
or Social Security be affected if I participate or decide I don’t
want to participate after all? No. Participation in this study
is strictly voluntary, and will not affect any of your present benefits.
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Will any outside agencies see the information
we give to the study? No. Your information obtained during
this study will remain strictly confidential. We will use a study number
to identify you which will not include your name or any other piece
of information that could identify you.
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Do you still have questions? For
additional information, please click here.
We are interested in hearing from you!
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