PAGER: Prospective study for the early detection of age-related changes in haematopoiesis

Summary

The PAGER study investigates how ageing affects the daily production of blood cells and why some people show signs of "blood ageing" earlier than others. Blood stem cells work hard everyday to produce new blood cells, but as we get older, this process slows down and becomes less efficient, sometimes increasing the risk of anaemia, infections, or even blood cancers.

The PAGER study aims to: 

• Understand how changes in the DNA building blocks affect blood cell production, and therefore how they contribute to both standard and premature “blood ageing”
• Investigate whether other factors (like lifestyle, infections, medications, and certain health conditions) can also have an impact on blood cell production
• Develop strategies to better identify individuals at risk of developing leukaemia

300-400 healthy volunteers will provide blood samples and health information over several years. Participants will be followed up with regular visits and long-term health record checks to track how ageing affects blood production.