Cardiometabolic epidemiology and aging – Ida Karlsson's research group

We study obesity and cardiometabolic health in relation to age-related health outcomes, with a special focus on understanding obesity as a complex and heterogeneous condition with different causes and consequences.

Part of the:

Our research

Our research is focused on cardiometabolic epidemiology and aging. The main aim of our work is to leverage the heterogeneity of obesity to understand differences among adiposity-related traits and why they have different associations with age-related health outcomes such as dementia, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, and mortality. Our goal is to advance our understanding of obesity as a complex and heterogeneous condition, with large individual differences in causes and risk of adverse health outcomes.

Publications

Selected publications

All publications from group members

Funding

Grants

  • The heterogeneity of obesity subtypes: From body mass index towards precision medicine
    Karolinska Institutet Research Grants
    1 November 2024 - 31 October 2026
  • Overweight as a heterogenous phenotype - Leveraging differences to understand effects on age-related diseases
    The Strategic Research Program in Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet
    1 November 2023 - 31 December 2023
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2023 - 31 December 2025
    Research problem and specific questions The purpose of this project is to leverage the heterogeneity of overweight to understand how overweight increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia. We will study adiposity in general and specific adiposity-related traits:Metabolically unhealthy vs healthy adiposityEnvironmentally vs genetically driven adiposityAdiposity measured in midlife vs late-lifeThus, we can study differences in how the adiposity-related traits associate with the age-related diseases, and if these differences are explained by mediating factors or by an acceleration of aging. We will study:Overweight in general, to highlight genes and biological pathways shared between adiposity and the age-related diseases, and seek to identify factors driving the associations.How metabolic biomarkers (e.g. cholesterol levels, inflammatory markers) and other potential mediators (e.g. depressive symptoms) differ among the adiposity-related traits, and if these factors influence the associations with the age-related diseases.If cellular or multisystem aging (telomere length, epigenetic clocks, and frailty) differ among the adiposity-related traits, and influence the association with the age-related diseases.Data and methodAim 1 uses genetic designs and public data. Aim 2-3 applies advanced epidemiological designs to large longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (USA
    n=37,494) and twin cohorts in the IGEMS consortium (Australia, Denmark, Sweden, and USA
    n=89-136).Plan for project realizationThe data are already available, and the realization and costs concern analyses to answer the research questions. The project is led by an interdisciplinary team of researchers in Sweden, China, and the USA. We will recruit a PhD student, who will conduct four studies within the project, and budget for partial financing of a present PhD student, whose work falls within the proposed project.RelevancePreliminary analyses indicate important differences among the adiposity-related traits, and by examining these differences the project will advance our understanding of the heterogeneity of overweight, and of what drives the negative health effects of adiposity in general. It thereby has the potential to identify preventive strategies reducing the risk of several of our most common causes of morbidity and mortality, and promote a healthier aging.
  • Overweight as a heterogeneous phenotype: Leveraging differences among adiposity-related traits to understand effects on age-related disease
    Foundation for Geriatric Diseases at Karolinska Institutet
    1 October 2022 - 30 September 2025
  • Overweight as a heterogeneous phenotype - Leveraging differences to understand effects on age-related diseases
    Karolinska Institutet’s Research Foundation
    1 October 2022 - 30 September 2024
  • Overweight as a heterogeneous phenotype: Leveraging differences among adiposity-related traits to understand effects on age-related disease
    Loo and Hans Osterman Foundation for Medical Research
    1 July 2022 - 30 June 2025
  • Overweight as a heterogeneous phenotype: Leveraging differences in adiposity-related traits to understand effects on age-related disease
    The Strategic Research Program in Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet
    1 November 2021 - 31 December 2023
  • Council for International Exchange of Scholars
    1 August 2019 - 29 February 2020
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2019 - 31 December 2020

Staff and contact

Group leader

All members of the group

Visiting address

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Nobels väg 12A, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden

Postal address

Karolinska Institutet, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, PO Box 281, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden

Keywords:
Aging Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Cardiovascular Diseases Dementia Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Show all
Content reviewer:
Ida Karlsson
Gunilla Sonnebring
04-09-2025