metabolic diseases
From diabetes to obesity and cardiovascular disorders, LIH is working to translate the traditional understanding of metabolic diseases into practical tools for diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
Metabolic diseases are the leading cause of death in Luxembourg, and one of the main causes of hospitalisation and work incapacity. Over the past decades, the metabolic health of populations has been strained by significant changes in living environments, such as urban sprawl, transport infrastructure, and access to infrastructure supporting active lifestyles. These environmental changes have been promoting increasingly sedentary lifestyles, thereby increasing the risk of metabolic disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. At the population level, one of the most effective ways to significantly reduce metabolic diseases and the social disparities associated with them, is to identify the characteristics of geographic residential environments that are causally linked to metabolic risk factors.
To fight this growing epidemic, the Luxembourg Institute of Health aims to identify new strategies to diagnose and treat metabolic disease. LIH research spans from the molecular basis of metabolic diseases, to assessing social inequalities and the long-term effect of geographic environments on metabolic health. Their studies will identify markers for disease, predictors for outcome or even new treatments. LIH is also invested in advancing the translational research knowledge into practical tools that can be used in the clinic by generating technologies to personalise diagnostics and treatment for patients affected by metabolic outcomes. To do this, the LIH has joined forces with worldwide networks of various expertise, to enhance the translation of scientific knowledge into products that patients can directly benefit from.
