About the RHINE

The Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) study is a population-based longitudinal cohort from seven Northern European centres (Reykjavik in Iceland, Bergen in Norway, Umeå, Uppsala and Gothenburg in Sweden, Aarhus in Denmark and Tartu in Estonia) . The cohort was initially recruited as part of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) I stage I (https://www.ecrhs.org/). Random population samples of men and women born 1945-73 completed postal questionnaires in 1990-1994 (RHINE I, n = 21 673 participants), 1999-2001 (RHINE II, n = 16 191 participants), 2010-12 (RHINE III, n = 13 142 participants) and 2020-23 (RHINE IV).

 

Annual Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) meeting in Aarhus

The Aarhus RHINE study centre in Denmark hosted this year’s Annual Respiratory Health in Northern Europe (RHINE) meeting on 15-16 April 2024. Partners from each study center gathered to discuss ongoing research and share insights in the field of respiratory health. RHINE study coordinator, Professor Ane Johannessen, initiated the meeting with an overview of the RHINE dataset, setting the stage for subsequent discussions and presentations.

The meeting covered several key topics related to respiratory health. One major focus was the impact of air pollution and exposure to green spaces on respiratory outcomes. Another critical discussion centered on the microbiome’s role in influencing respiratory health. Additionally, the meeting explored the effects of sleep disturbances and nicotine products on respiratory diseases, alongside other relevant health outcomes and environmental exposures.

Discussions extended to collaborative efforts with the RHINESSA and ECRHS studies, highlighting the benefits of integrating diverse research initiatives. The meeting also outlined future research directions, particularly focusing on the strategic use of the RHINE dataset to explore various respiratory-related outcomes.

This year’s meeting reinforced the strong collaboration among partners to further respiratory health research. The RHINE consortium looks forward to the next annual meeting, to be held in Gothenburg, Sweden.