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What’s New With the OHS?

Since 2010, the Ontario Health Study (OHS) has been working hard to build a platform for chronic disease research. Working together with the research community and Ontarians across the province we are now following the health of about 225,000 people and have collected more than 40,000 blood samples. We’re building a database of health information and a biobank so researchers can better understand the link between genetics, lifestyle and environment—and the role they play in our health.

In this section, you’ll find information about the various Study activities and upcoming initiatives.

Blood tubes in the laboratory centrifuge

Assessment Centre Questionnaire data available for access

Oct 18, 2024 // Study Updates

A unique subset of questionnaire data from more than 4,800 OHS participants is now available. In 2013-2014, these Study volunteers visited an Assessment Centre (AC) in downtown Toronto, where they also provided a series of physical measures, blood and urine samples. The Assessment Centre Questionnaire asked about cardiovascular history (cholesterol, high blood pressure, fainting, chest

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CanPath and the Ontario Health Study at 15: Dr. Philip Awadalla on the future of Canada’s largest health research platform

Aug 19, 2024 // Study Updates

The OHS and CanPath have reached an important milestone-15 years of research! Dr. Philip Awadalla, as Executive Scientific Director of the OHS and National Scientific Director of CanPath, talks about how the two studies can be put to use in the next 15 years, including to help develop the tools for more aggressive cancer detection,

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Cancer diagnoses studied among OHS participants

Aug 7, 2024 // Study Updates

No association found between depression and anxiety and many common cancers Living with depression and anxiety has been thought to put people at a higher risk for certain cancers. New research from a large international study, which includes data from thousands of OHS participants, is showing otherwise. In a paper published in August 2023, the

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