Olli Raitakari profile picture
Olli
Raitakari
Professor, Cardiovascular Medicine (CAPC)
InFLAMES Flagship
MD/PhD

Contact

+358 29 450 2304
Kiinamyllynkatu 10
20520
Turku

Areas of expertise

cardiovascular and metabolic diseases
risk factors
vascular epidemiology
genetic epidemiology
epidemiology
dietary intervention
cohort studies
follow-up studies

Biography

EDUCATION AND DEGREES
 
2001   Docent in Clinical Physiology
1997-1999  Postdoc training, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia
1997   Docent in Epidemiology
1996   Specialist in Clinical Physiology 
1995   Doctorate, PhD
1989   Licentiate in Medicine, MD

CURRENT POSITIONS

2017-                 Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine, Director of the Research Centre of Applied and 
                          Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Turku, Finland                         

 

PAST POSITIONS

2012-2016                          Academy Professor, University of Turku

2007-2016                          Professor in Cardiovascular Medicine (part time), University of Turku

2007-2008                          Senior Scientist Grant, Academy of Finland

2004-2016                          Chief Physician, Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku
                                           University Hospital (leave of absence 2012-2016)

2002-2004                          Consultant in Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine, Turku University Hospital

2002 (1 mo)                        Head of Nuclear Medicine Department, Turku University Hospital

2000-2003 (3 mo)               Head of Clinical Physiology Department, Turku University Hospital

2000-2005                          Senior Fellow Post, Academy of Finland

1998-2000                          Postdoctoral Research Post, Academy of Finland

1996-1997                          Consultant in Clinical Physiology, Turku University Hospital

1991-1996                          Positions as Resident in Clinical Chemistry, Nuclear Medicine, and Clinical 
                                           Physiology, Turku University Hospital

1988-1990                          Positions as General Practioner and Resident in Internal Medicine or Surgery


Research

Evidence suggest that many non-communicable disease outcomes have roots in childhood and may even stem of adverse ancestral exposures. Improved knowledge how various ancestral and early-life exposures lead to adult disease outcomes is essential in developing better preventive practices and policies that lead to improved public health. My mission has been to contribute to this knowledge-base by working in epidemiologic cohort studies with follow-up from childhood to adulthood. I am the Principal Investigator of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (YFS), the largest study in Europe with a follow-up of cardiovascular risk factors from childhood to adulthood. I am also the Director of the STRIP Study, which is a leading long-term pediatric dietary intervention study testing the hypothesis that modifying the fat quality diet will have beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk early in life. During the past years, I have organized several field studies in these cohorts, and introduced novel technologies, such as imaging studies, genetic epidemiology methods and metabolomics approaches in these unique population resources. Our research has contributed to the understanding of pre-clinical development of atherosclerosis in children and young adults, including the effects of diet, life-style, metabolic risk factors, psychological traits and psychosocial factors, inflammation, hormones and genetic markers. For example, by applying non-invasive imaging methods in the Young Finns Study, we have demonstrated that exposure to adverse lipids, elevated blood pressure and obesity in childhood is related to atherosclerosis development in adulthood (JAMA 2003). Subsequent work stemmed from this initial observation has led to numerous original publications that have shown in detail how exposure to a large range of aetiogenic factors early in life contribute to the development of cardio-metabolic outcomes in adulthood. For example, by pooling international i3C Consortium data, we have demonstrated that overweight or obese children who became non-obese by adulthood had similar risks of many cardio-metabolic adult outcomes as individuals who were never obese (NEJM 2011). Thus, the results of our studies have clearly demonstrated that individual’s exposure to various stressors in early life is contributing to his/her adult phenotype and disease risk. The results have had significant impact on preventive practices. As a concrete demonstration of the international recognition and impact of my team’s work, many of our studies are widely cited in all updated paediatric guidelines on cardiovascular prevention both in Europe and in US.

Publications

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The Early Growth Genetics (EGG) and EArly Genetics and Lifecourse Epidemiology (EAGLE) consortia: design, results and future prospects (2019)

European Journal of Epidemiology
Middeldorp CM, Mahajan A, Horikoshi M, Robertson NR, Beaumont RN, Bradfield JP, Bustamante M, Cousminer DL, Day FR, De Silva NM, Guxens M, Mook-Kanamori DO, St Pourcain B, Warrington NM, Adair LS, Ahlqvist E, Ahluwalia TS, Almgren P, Ang W, Atalay M, Auvinen J, Bartels M, Beckmann JS, Bilbao JR, Bond T, Borja JB, Cavadino A, Charoen P, Chen ZH, Coin L, Cooper C, Curtin JA, Custovic A, Das S, Davies GE, Dedoussis GV, Duijts L, Eastwood PR, Eliasen AU, Elliott P, Eriksson JG, Estivill X, Fadista J, Fedko IO, Frayling TM, Gaillard R, Gauderman WJ, Geller F, Gilliland F, Gilsanz V, Granell R, Grarup N, Groop L, Hadley D, Hakonarson H, Hansen T, Hartman CA, Hattersley AT, Hayes MG, Hebebrand J, Heinrich J, Helgeland O, Henders AK, Henderson J, Henriksen TB, Hirschhorn JN, Hivert MF, Hocher B, Holloway JW, Holt P, Hottenga JJ, Hypponen E, Iniguez C, Johansson S, Jugessur A, Kahonen M, Kalkwarf HJ, Kaprio J, Karhunen V, Kemp JP, Kerkhof M, Koppelman GH, Korner A, Kotecha S, Kreiner-Moller E, Kulohoma B, Kumar A, Kutalik Z, Lahti J, Lappe JM, Larsson H, Lehtimaki T, Lewin AM, Li J, Lichtenstein P, Lindgren CM, Lindi V, Linneberg A, Liu XP, Liu J, Lowe WL, Lundstrom S, Lyytikainen LP, Ma RCW, Mace A, Magi R, Magnus P, Mamun AA, Mannikko M, Martin NG, Mbarek H, McCarthy NS, Medland SE, Melbye M, Melen E, Mohlke KL, Monnereau C, Morgen CS, Morris AP, Murray JC, Myhre R, Najman JM, Nivard MG, Nohr EA, Nolte IM, Ntalla I, O'Reilly P, Oberfield SE, Oken E, Oldehinkel AJ, Pahkala K, Palviainen T, Panoutsopoulou K, Pedersen O, Pennell CE, Pershagen G, Pitkanen N, Plomin R, Power C, Prasad RB, Prokopenko I, Pulkkinen L, Raikkonen K, Raitakari OT, Reynolds RM, Richmond RC, Rivadeneira F, Rodriguez A, Rose RJ, Salem R, Santa-Marina L, Saw SM, Schnurr TM, Scott JG, Selzam S, Shepherd JA, Simpson A, Skotte L, Sleiman PMM, Snieder H, Sorensen TIA, Standl M, Steegers EAP, Strachan DP, Straker L, Strandberg T, Taylor M, Teo YY, Thiering E, Torrent M, Tyrrell J, Uitterlinden AG, van Beijsterveldt T, van der Most PJ, van Duijn CM, Viikari J, Vilor-Tejedor N, Vogelezang S, Vonk JM, Vrijkotte TGM, Vuoksimaa E, Wang CA, Watkins WJ, Wichmann HE, Willemsen G, Williams GM, Wilson JF, Wray NR, Xu SJ, Xu CJ, Yaghootkar H, Yi L, Zafarmand MH, Zeggini E, Zemel BS, Hinney A, Lakka TA, Whitehouse AJO, Sunyer J, Widen EE, Feenstra B, Sebert S, Jacobsson B, Njolstad PR, Stoltenberg C, Smith GD, Lawlor DA, Paternoster L, Timpson NJ, Ong KK, Bisgaard H, Bonnelykke K, Jaddoe VWV, Tiemeier H, Jarvelin MR, Evans DM, Perry JRB, Grant SFA, Boomsma DI, Freathy RM, McCarthy MI, Adair LS, Ahlqvist E, Ahluwalia TS, Almgren P, Ang W, Atalay M, Beaumont RN, Beckmann JS, Bisgaard H, Bond T, Bonnelykke K, Boomsma DI, Borja JB, Bradfield JP, Bustamante M, Cavadino A, Charoen P, Coin L, Cooper C, Cousminer DL, Curtin JA, Custovic A, Das S, Day FR, De Silva NM, Dedoussis GV, Elliott P, Eriksson JG, Evans DM, Fadista J, Feenstra B, Felix JF, Frayling TM, Freathy RM, Gaillard R, Geller F, Gilsanz V, Grant SFA, Grarup N, Groop L, Guxens M, Hadley D, Hakonarson H, Hansen T, Hattersley AT, Hayes MG, Hebebrand J, Heinrich J, Helgeland O, Henriksen TB, Hinney A, Hirschhorn JN, Hivert MF, Hocher B, Holloway JW, Horikoshi M, Hottenga JJ, Hypponen E, Jacobsson B, Jaddoe VWV, Jarvelin MR, Johansson S, Kalkwarf HJ, Kerkhof M, Korner A, Kotecha S, Kreiner-Moller E, Kulohoma B, Kutalik Z, Lakka TA, Lappe JM, Lawlor DA, Lehtimaki T, Lewin AM, Lindgren CM, Lindi V, Linneberg A, Liu XP, Liu J, Lowe WL, Ma RCW, Mace A, Magi R, Magnus P, Mahajan A, McCarthy NS, McCarthy MI, Melbye M, Mohlke KL, Monnereau C, Mook-Kanamori DO, Morgen CS, Morris AP, Murray JC, Myhre R, Njolstad PR, Nohr EA, Ntalla I, O'Reilly P, Oberfield SE, Oken E, Ong KK, Panoutsopoulou K, Pedersen O, Pennell CE, Perry JRB, Pitkanen N, St Pourcain B, Power C, Prasad RB, Prokopenko I, Raitakari OT, Reynolds RM, Richmond RC, Rodriguez A, Salem R, Saw SM, Schnurr TM, Sebert S, Shepherd JA, Simpson A, Skotte L, Sorensen TIA, Standl M, Steegers EAP, Strachan DP, Sunyer J, Taylor M, Teo YY, Thiering E, Timpson NJ, Tyrrell J, Uitterlinden AG, van Duijn CM, Vogelezang S, Vrijkotte TGM, Wang CA, Warrington NM, Watkins WJ, Wichmann HE, Widen EE, Willemsen G, Wilson JF, Yaghootkar H, Zafarmand MH, Zeggini E, Zemel BS, Ahluwalia TS, Auvinen J, Bartels M, Bilbao JR, Bisgaard H, Bonnelykke K, Boomsma DI, Bradfield JP, Bustamante M, Chen ZH, Curtin JA, Custovic A, Smith GD, Davies GE, Duijts L, Eastwood PR, Eliasen AU, Estivill X, Evans DM, Fedko IO, Felix JF, Gauderman WJ, Gilliland F, Granell R, Grant SFA, Guxens M, Hakonarson H, Hartman CA, Heinrich J, Henders AK, Henderson J, Holt P, Hottenga JJ, Hypponen E, Iniguez C, Jacobsson B, Jaddoe VWV, Jarvelin MR, Jugessur A, Kahonen M, Kaprio J, Karhunen V, Kemp JP, Koppelman GH, Kumar A, Lahti J, Larsson H, Lawlor DA, Lehtimaki T, Li J, Lichtenstein P, Lundstrom S, Lyytikainen LP, Magnus P, Mamun AA, Mannikko M, Martin NG, Mbarek H, Medland SE, Melen E, Middeldorp CM, Najman JM, Nivard MG, Nolte IM, Oldehinkel AJ, Pahkala K, Palviainen T, Paternoster L, Pennell CE, Pershagen G, Pitkanen N, Plomin R, St Pourcain B, Power C, Pulkkinen L, Raikkonen K, Raitakari OT, Richmond RC, Rivadeneira F, Rose RJ, Santa-Marina L, Scott JG, Sebert S, Selzam S, Simpson A, Sleiman PMA, Snieder H, Standl M, Stoltenberg C, Strachan DP, Straker L, Strandberg T, Sunyer J, Thiering E, Tiemeier HN, Timpson NJ, Torrent M, Uitterlinden AG, van Beijsterveldt T, van der Most PJ, van Duijn CM, Viikari J, Vilor-Tejedor N, Vonk JM, Vrijkotte TGM, Vuoksimaa E, Wang CA, Whitehouse AJO, Willemsen G, Williams GM, Wray NR, Xu SJ, Xu CJ, Yi L, Zafarmand MH, Zafarmand MH
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

IMI - Myopia Genetics Report (2019)

Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
Tedja MS, Haarman AEG, Meester-Smoor MA, Kaprio J, Mackey DA, Guggenheim JA, Hammond CJ, Verhoeven VJM, Klaver CCW, Bailey-Wilson JE, Baird PN, Veluchamy AB, Biino G, Burdon KP, Campbell H, Chen LJ, Cheng CY, Chew EY, Craig JE, Cumberland PM, Deangelis MM, Delcourt C, Ding XH, van Duijn CM, Evans DM, Fan Q, Fossarello M, Foster PJ, Gharahkhani P, Iglesias AI, Guol XB, Haller T, Han XK, Hayward C, He MG, Hewitt AW, Hoang Q, Hysi PG, Igo RP, Iyengar SK, Jonas JB, Kahonen M, Khawaja AP, Klein BE, Klein R, Lass JH, Lee K, Lehtimaki T, Lewis D, Li Q, Li SM, Lyytikainen LP, MacGregor S, Martin NG, Meguro A, Metspalu A, Middlebrooks C, Miyake M, Mizuki N, Musolf A, Nickels S, Oexle K, Pang CP, Parssinen O, Paterson AD, Pfeiffer N, Polasek O, Rahi JS, Raitakari O, Rudan I, Sahebjada S, Saw SM, Stambolian D, Simpson CL, Tai ES, Tideman JWL, Tsujikawa A, Verhoeven VJM, Vitart V, Wang NL, Wedenoja J, Wei WB, Williams C, Williams KM, Wilson JF, Wojciechowski R, Wang YX, Yamashiro K, Yam JCS, Yap MKH, Yazar S, Yip SP, Young TL, Zhou XT, Young TL, Yip SP, Zhou XT, Yazar S
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Genetic and lifestyle risk factors for MRI-defined brain infarcts in a population-based setting (2019)

Neurology
Chauhan G, Adams HHH, Satizabal CL, Bis JC, Teumer A, Sargurupremraj M, Hofer E, Trompet S, Hilal S, Smith AV, Jian X, Malik R, Traylor M, Pulit SL, Amouyel P, Mazoyer B, Zhu YC, Kaffashian S, Schilling S, Beecham GW, Montine TJ, Schellenberg GD, Kjartansson O, Guðnason V, Knopman DS, Griswold ME, Windham BG, Gottesman RF, Mosley TH, Schmidt R, Saba Y, Schmidt H, Takeuchi F, Yamaguchi S, Nabika T, Kato N, Rajan KB, Aggarwal NT, De Jager PL, Evans DA, Psaty BM, Rotter JI, Rice K, Lopez OL, Liao J, Chen C, Cheng CY, Wong TY, Ikram MK, van der Lee SJ, Amin N, Chouraki V, DeStefano AL, Aparicio HJ, Romero JR, Maillard P, DeCarli C, Wardlaw JM, Hernández MDCV, Luciano M, Liewald D, Deary IJ, Starr JM, Bastin ME, Muñoz Maniega S, Slagboom PE, Beekman M, Deelen J, Uh HW, Lemmens R, Brodaty H, Wright MJ, Ames D, Boncoraglio GB, Hopewell JC, Beecham AH, Blanton SH, Wright CB, Sacco RL, Wen W, Thalamuthu A, Armstrong NJ, Chong E, Schofield PR, Kwok JB, van der Grond J, Stott DJ, Ford I, Jukema JW, Vernooij MW, Hofman A, Uitterlinden AG, van der Lugt A, Wittfeld K, Grabe HJ, Hosten N, von Sarnowski B, Völker U, Levi C, Jimenez-Conde J, Sharma P, Sudlow CLM, Rosand J, Woo D, Cole JW, Meschia JF, Slowik A, Thijs V, Lindgren A, Melander O, Grewal RP, Rundek T, Rexrode K, Rothwell PM, Arnett DK, Jern C, Johnson JA, Benavente OR, Wasssertheil-Smoller S, Lee JM, Wong Q, Mitchell BD, Rich SS, McArdle PF, Geerlings MI, van der Graaf Y, de Bakker PIW, Asselbergs FW, Srikanth V, Thomson R, McWhirter R, Moran C, Callisaya M, Phan T, Rutten-Jacobs LCA, Bevan S, Tzourio C, Mather KA, Sachdev PS, van Duijn CM, Worrall BB, Dichgans M, Kittner SJ, Markus HS, Ikram MA, Fornage M, Launer LJ, Seshadri S, Longstreth WT Jr, Debette S; Stroke Genetics Network (SiGN); the International Stroke Genetics Consortium (ISGC); METASTROKE; Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC); and the Neurology Working Group of the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) Consortium
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Utility of Different Blood Pressure Measurement Components in Childhood to Predict Adult Carotid Intima-Media Thickness (2019)

Hypertension
Juha Koskinen, Markus Juonala, Terence Dwyer, Alison Venn, Janina Petkeviciene, Indrė Čeponienė, Lydia Bazzano, Wei Chen, Matthew A. Sabin, Trudy L. Burns, Jorma S.A. Viikari, Jessica G. Woo, Elaine M. Urbina, Ronald Prineas, Nina Hutri-Kähönen, Alan Sinaiko, David R. Jacobs, Jr, Julia Steinberger, Stephen Daniels, Olli Raitakari, Costan G. Magnussen
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

A trans-ancestral meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies reveals loci associated with childhood obesity (2019)

Human Molecular Genetics
Bradfield JP, Vogelezang S, Felix JF, Chesi A, Helgeland Ø, Horikoshi M, Karhunen V, Lowry E, Cousminer DL, Ahluwalia TS, Thiering E, Boh ET, Zafarmand MH, Vilor-Tejedor N, Wang CA, Joro R, Chen Z, Gauderman WJ, Pitkänen N, Parra EJ, Fernandez-Rhodes L, Alyass A, Monnereau C, Curtin JA, Have CT, McCormack SE, Hollensted M, Frithioff-Bøjsøe C, Valladares-Salgado A, Peralta-Romero J, Teo YY, Standl M, Leinonen JT, Holm JC, Peters T, Vioque J, Vrijheid M, Simpson A, Custovic A, Vaudel M, Canouil M, Lindi V, Atalay M, Kähönen M, Raitakari OT, van Schaik BDC, Berkowitz RI, Cole SA, Voruganti VS, Wang Y, Highland HM, Comuzzie AG, Butte NF, Justice AE, Gahagan S, Blanco E, Lehtimäki T, Lakka TA, Hebebrand J, Bonnefond A, Grarup N, Froguel P, Lyytikäinen LP, Cruz M, Kobes S, Hanson RL, Zemel BS, Hinney A, Teo KK, Meyre D, North KE, Gilliland FD, Bisgaard H, Bustamante M, Bonnelykke K, Pennell CE, Rivadeneira F, Uitterlinden AG, Baier LJ, Vrijkotte TGM, Heinrich J, Sørensen TIA, Saw SM, Pedersen O, Hansen T, Eriksson J, Widén E, McCarthy MI, Njølstad PR, Power C, Hyppönen E, Sebert S, Brown CD, Järvelin MR, Timpson NJ, Johansson S, Hakonarson H, Jaddoe VWV; Early Growth Genetics Consortium
(A1 Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä lehdessä )

Genetic Determinants of Circulating Glycine Levels and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease (2019)

Journal of the American Heart Association
Qiong Jia, Yi Han, Pin Huang, Nicholas C. Woodward, Janet Gukasyan, Johannes Kettunen, Mika Ala‐Korpela, Olga Anufrieva, Qin Wang, Markus Perola, Olli Raitakari, Terho Lehtimäki, Jorma Viikari, Marjo‐Riitta Järvelin, Michael Boehnke, Markku Laakso, Karen L. Mohlke, Oliver Fiehn, Zeneng Wang, W.H. Wilson Tang, Stanley L. Hazen, Jaana A. Hartiala, Hooman Allayee
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))