45 and Up Study

12/05/2025

$4.5 million grant for new study!

We’re thrilled to announce that the Sax Institute, which manages the 45 and Up Study, has been awarded a $4.5 million grant to establish a new multigenerational study into mental health. This new study is called the 18 and Up Study, and it will build on the power of the 45 and Up Study so that we can better understand the mental health challenges faced by different generations. Read more about the announcement and stay tuned for more information over the coming months.

A $4.5 million grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has been awarded to establish one of the largest intergenerational cohort studies in the world focused on mental health and wellbeing. The 18 and Up Study was announced today as one of the 22 successful projects funde...

16/04/2025

🚨New research from the University of Sydney reveals that the number of Australians living with diabetes may be up to 35 per cent higher than previously estimated. The Australia-first research was powered by data from the 45 and Up Study. The findings have big implications for how Australia plans health services and prevention strategies for diabetes. Thank you to the hundreds of thousands of 45 and Up Study participants who make this research possible! Read more 👉 https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/news/diabetes-prevalence-in-australia-may-be-35-higher-than-estimated/

05/03/2025

New research using the 45 and Up Study has shed light on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for women who experienced premature or early menopause. Data from 46,000 women showed that women with premature menopause (before the age of 40) had an increased risk of heart disease, compared to women who reached menopause at the average onset age (50 to 52). But that risk was offset by the heart-health benefits of a healthy lifestyle. This research was funded by a Heart Foundation 45 and Up Research Grant, which has supported numerous projects since 2020. Learn more:
https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/news/healthy-lifestyle-a-heart-saver-for-women-with-early-menopause/

30/01/2025

Thank you to the thousands of 45 and Up Study participants who took part in the Maintain Your Brain trial. Findings have just been published, showing that an online lifestyle coaching program significantly improved cognitive ability in older adults. Cognitive decline can lead to dementia, making improving cognition as you age key to prevention. This powerful evidence could make a difference to health of many Australians in the future. https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/news/cognition-in-older-adults-improved-in-clinical-trial-using-45-and-up-participants/

22/12/2024

19/12/2024

Thanks to your generous support, the 45 and Up Study has informed important research on cancer, diabetes and other pressing health issues this year. In 2024, research by prestigious institutions including the University of Sydney, The Garvan Institute, the Daffodil Centre and the University of Technology Sydney have generated global media attention and have helped inform decision making. Find out more about what the 45 and Up Study has told us this year… https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/news/what-the-45-and-up-study-told-us-in-2024/

24/10/2024

New research by The Daffodil Centre using data from the 45 and Up Study has revealed high out-of-pocket costs incurred by cancer patients in Australia.
Researchers looked at data from 45,000 participants in 45 and Up Study. They found that more than half of people diagnosed with cancer in the previous two years had annual out-of-pocket costs higher than $1000, and almost one in ten had costs over $10,000.
Learn more about the research here: https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/news/cancer-patients-hit-by-high-out-of-pocket-costs/

03/06/2024

New research using the 45 and Up Study is shedding light on diabetes complications.

The research has found that men are more likely to suffer from diabetes-related diseases than women. Researchers from The University of Sydney analysed health and lifestyle data from more than 25,000 people with diabetes over a 10-year period.

The findings revealed that men with diabetes (both type 1 and type 2) are significantly more likely to suffer from heart disease and kidney complications compared to women with diabetes.

This important research couldn’t be done without your involvement – thank you for your ongoing support of the 45 and Up Study!

Learn more about the research here: https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/news/45-and-up-study-data-sheds-new-light-on-diabetes-complications/

26/03/2024

A new research project using data from the Sax Institute’s 45 and Up Study hopes to reveal the genetic risk factors for bipolar disorder so that the condition can be better diagnosed and treated.

In partnership with NeuRA - Neuroscience Research Australia, we've delving into the genetic factors influencing both physical and mental wellbeing in individuals with bipolar disorder.

If you've received an invitation to participate, we urge you to consider joining this research. By completing a questionnaire and providing blood samples, you'll be contributing directly to the health and wellbeing of all Australians.

Together, we can pave the way for better treatments and interventions for those affected by bipolar disorder.

Read more about this groundbreaking research here:

A new research project with the 45 and Up Study hopes to reveal the genetic risk factors for bipolar disorder so that the condition can be better diagnosed and treated. The NeuRA Research Project, run by Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and The University of New South Wales, aims to better…

21/02/2024

Your participation in the NeuRA Research Project could be the key to unlocking vital information that may lead to breakthroughs in understanding bipolar disorder!

In partnership with NeuRA - Neuroscience Research Australia , we've launched a groundbreaking research project to delve deeper into the genetic factors influencing both physical and mental well-being in individuals with bipolar disorder.

If you've received an invitation to participate, we urge you to consider joining this research. By completing a questionnaire and providing blood samples, you'll be contributing directly to the health and wellbeing of all Australians.

Your blood samples will be analysed in several ways, including whole genome sequencing at the esteemed Garvan Institute of Medical Research, and be combined with your questionnaire responses and other linked data.

Together, we can pave the way for better treatments and interventions for those affected by bipolar disorder.

Curious to learn more? Visit our website: https://www.saxinstitute.org.au/solutions/45-and-up-study/for-participants/neura-project/

30/08/2023

The 45 and Up Study is set to become an even more powerful driver of health and wellbeing research as we launch a major new data-gathering exercise – and we couldn’t do it without our participants!
From this week, the Study will be sending out almost 200,000 confidential surveys, in a huge and complex operation that will take around three years to complete. The survey can be completed online or by post – watch out for your invitation!
The survey includes questions on lifestyle, diet, physical and mental health, wellbeing, health service use and more, making this one of the most comprehensive surveys of Australians’ health ever undertaken.
We thank our participants for their ongoing support of the 45 and Up Study – which is making a big difference to the health of all Australians.
www.saxinstitute.org.au/news/the-45-and-up-study-embarks-on-a-new-round-of-data-gathering-to-shape-research-into-healthy-ageing-for-years-to-come/

23/05/2023

Your participation in the 45 and Up Study has helped to drive cancer research that is saving lives and improving medical treatment. Over the past few years important discoveries have been made with the help of the 45 and Up Study: insights into new risk factors for cancer as well as the impact of screening programs and why some cancer treatments are more popular than others.

Here’s a round-up of cancer research that’s made a big impact:

When the 45 and Up Study launched in 2005, one of its core aims was to understand more about why people get cancer and how we can help them. Eighteen years later, the Study has been used by leading cancer researchers whose work has shed light on risk factors, diagnosis,…