THUNDER BAY - A provincial study is asking people in Thunder Bay to roll up their sleeves and help contribute to a healthier future.
The Ontario Health Study, one of the largest health studies in Canada, will be in Thunder Bay Wednesday and Thursday to collect information and blood samples from area residents to learn more about chronic diseases in the region.
“The data collected is important because we are trying to figure out what causes chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, etc,” said Matthew Campbell, research associate with the Ontario Health Study.
“The way we are doing that is through blood collection. That will give some insight into genetics or biomarkers, or any components that may result in chronic disease.”
The Ontario Health Study is partnering with LifeLabs to collect blood samples in communities across the province. There are more than 230,000 participants in Ontario and more than 100 people already registered in Thunder Bay.
“We are always looking for participants,” Campbell said. “Having more participants is great because it bolsters the data and gives researchers more insight into rare diseases and more chronic diseases.”
Individuals 18-years-old or older can fill out a health-related online questionnaire and individuals between the ages of 30 and 74 can also provide a blood sample.
“First off, if you are not comfortable providing a blood sample, you can still do the online questionnaire and that’s very valuable information,” Campbell said.
But Campbell added that the main draw for researchers is the actual blood samples collected.
“Chronic disease accounts for the four main causes of death in Canada right now,” he said. “A lot of people have family members or someone they know that has been affected by chronic disease.”
The not-for-profit study is still in the data collection phase and Campbell said it could take some time for researchers to crunch the numbers and analyze the samples.
The Ontario Health Study will be at LifeLabs on Oliver Road on Wednesday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. People can register at www.ontariohealthstudy.ca/TBay and drop-ins are welcomed.
“It’s just a matter of coming out and providing some of your time and rolling up your sleeve to help figure out how to improve health now and decades down the line,” Campbell said.
