Genetic and environmental factors contribute to maintaining health and in the development of disease and disability as people age. The Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging (CLSA) is a national long-term study that will follow approximately 50,000 men and women, and presents a unique opportunity to study genetic and environmental contributions to human health and disease by providing information on the changing biological, medical, psychological, social, lifestyle and economic aspects of participants' lives. This document describes the availability and quality assessment of genetic data for 9,900 CLSA participants, comprising genome-wide directly genotyped data for 794,409 markers and whole-genome imputed data for ~39 million genetic variants. Quality assessment includes both marker- and sample-based tests, as well as analysis of sex-chromosome abnormalities, population structure, and familial relatedness. Results from exemplar genome-wide association studies for height and lipid traits are also provided. An additional 20,000 individuals are planned for a future data release of genome-wide genotypes. Qualified researchers from any country can access this genomic and phenotypic data release via the CLSA Data Access Portal.

Background: Kirkland et al (2015). Mining a Unique Canadian Resource: The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement, 34, pp 366-377 doi:10.1017/S071498081500029X http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S071498081500029X

Raina et al (2009) The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement / Volume 28 / Special Issue 03 / September 2009, pp 221 ¬ 229 DOI: 10.1017/S0714980809990055. http://journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S0714980809990055

link to publications:

www.clsa-elcv.ca/stay-informed/publications

and protocols:

www.clsa-elcv.ca/researchers