ELSA 50+ CHIP Sub-study

The ELSA 50+ CHIP sub-study is an additional part of ELSA 50+ Health and Life looking at Clonal Haematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential (CHIP), a common age related condition. 

A small number of ELSA participants will be invited to take part in this study in 2024.

What is the ELSA CHIP study?

The ELSA CHIP study is a small sub-study of ELSA participants focused on something called “Clonal Haematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential”, or “CHIP” for short. We can identify people with CHIP by the presence of genetic changes in the blood cells that we acquire as we get older. This is a normal part of ageing in the blood and bone marrow (where our blood cells are made). CHIP is very common – it is present in 10-20% of people aged over 70 and gets more common with age.

Why have I been selected to take part? 

You have been selected to take part in the ELSA CHIP study as you have previously taken part in an ELSA Health Visit and agreed to a blood test. We are unable to study CHIP with any previous blood samples you have kindly provided to us as part of the ELSA Health visit as they are sent to a different place and processed differently. Being selected to take part does not mean you have CHIP. CHIP is very common among individuals over 50. Some people in the study will have CHIP and some will not. 

Why take part?

CHIP is associated with inflammation, and it is thought that this inflammation contributes to increased risk of some of the health problems that we see in people as they get older, including heart disease, strokes and some forms of cancer (although the increased risk of developing cancer is low). The CHIP sub-study of ELSA seeks to understand why and how CHIP causes the inflammation which increases the risk of the health problems mentioned. At the moment, there are big gaps in our understanding of CHIP and our knowledge about ageing and age associated health problems. We hope that if we understand these better, it will help us move closer to developing strategies to reduce the impact CHIP has on age-related health problems.

What will taking part involve?

The CHIP sub-study will involve a one-off visit from a biomedical fieldworker for a blood test. A small amount of blood would be taken (no more than 20ml, about 4 teaspoons) from your arm. Participation in this research is voluntary and you have the right to withdraw at any stage. A biomedical fieldworker will be in touch to arrange a visit.

CHIP Showcards

Click here to download the showcards (pdf). 

How do you safeguard my privacy?

We will treat your information in the strictest confidence under UK GDPR data protection legislation. Your answers are put with those collected from people across England and the survey findings are used for research that benefits society. You will not be identifiable from the published results. You can read more about the ELSA privacy policy here: https://www.elsa-project.ac.uk/privacy-notice.

How to get in touch?

If you have changed your contact details recently, or have any questions, please let us know by emailing us at elsa@natcen.ac.uk or calling free on 0800 652 4574 (opening times are Monday to Thursday 09:00 to 20:00, Friday 09:00 to 17:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 16:00).