BIG3

BIG3 is a Scanian research project in which the name BIG3 is aiming at three major diseases: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer. The overall goal of BIG3 is to understand the mechanisms underlying these diseases in order to develop new treatments that can lead to earlier, better and more accurate diagnosis for better and more individualized treatment. BIG3 is an open prospective longitudinal cohort study in Sweden. As a first step, around 100 000 people in Scania between 45 and 75 years have the opportunity to answer a questionnaire about lifestyle, living environment and tobacco habits. Then about 10 000 individuals from the respondents will be summoned to undergo examinations. These include ECG, CT scan of the heart and lungs, pulmonary function tests and blood tests. The blood samples will be analyzed both directly for a number of markers and also stored in a biobank for later analysis. The goal is to try to get about 50% of smokers in the cohort. Ultimately, the study aims to find out which individuals that are at greater risk of developing one or more of the three diseases and why some individuals seem to be protected. Purpose: BIG3 aims to increase understanding and to reduce morbidity / mortality in chronic diseases such as COPD, lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases, and to improve the care and quality of life for individuals with these disorders.