PENG ZU Study on Healthy Aging in China (PENG ZU Cohort): Design and Goals

Life expectancy is increasing, leading to the continuous aging of the population in China. Enhancing the health status of the older population is crucial to achieving healthy aging. The primary objective of the PENG ZU Study on Healthy Aging in China (PENG ZU Cohort) is to understand the natural progression of health status among the aging Chinese population. Specifically, the PENG ZU cohort aims to identify and validate multidimensional aging markers, uncover the underlying mechanisms of systemic aging and functional decline, and develop novel strategies and measures to delay functional decline and adverse health outcomes, while maintaining overall good health. The PENG ZU cohort consists of 26,000 individuals aged 25 to 89 years from seven major geographical regions in China. Diversified data and biospecimens are collected according to standardized procedures at baseline and follow-up visits. Baseline recruitment for the PENG ZU cohort was completed in October 2021. The extensive analysis of multidimensional health-related data and bioresources collected from the cohort is anticipated to develop methods for evaluating functional status and elucidating multilevel, cross-scale interactions and regulatory mechanisms of healthy aging. The findings from this study will enhance the understanding of health changes due to aging, facilitate efficient and effective interventions to maintain functional ability, and reduce the incidence and severity of age-related diseases, thereby further promoting healthy aging.