Research into the ”highest good“ of mankind
Staying as healthy as possible into high age – this is probably the goal of most people. Meeting this goal is the objective of health research and health economics.
Research in Germany is facing great challenges: it has to meet the wishes and demands of its citizens for ever better therapies whilst keeping costs moderate. But what has changed over the last years and decades? Today, people live nearly 30 years longer than a hundred years ago. Major progress indeed, which is largely due to the following advancements: better medical care, the development of medicines (for example antibiotics) and vaccines as well as a much better understanding of diseases allowing more targeted treatment.
Statistical projections of a long life are also accompanied by the wish of leading a self-determined life in old age, a life not dominated by the discomfort of the natural ageing process and illnesses. As an individual, everyone can contribute to this goal within their own means. A ”healthy lifestyle“, for example a balanced diet, exercise and endurance sports, but also participating in preventive medical checkups are commonplace in today's media.
But what are the tasks of health research? In order to meet the challenges of a functioning health system, both today and in the future, the main fields of activity were defined by the government in its framework programme ”Health Research“.
Research into widespread diseases at the German Centres for Health Research
The establishment of the German Centres for Health Research was an important step to continuously integrate innovations from biomedical research as well as medical engineering into daily medical routine. To this purpose, six centres were created for research into widespread community diseases. This pooling of resources enables cutting edge research by the best scientists in their field and follows the aim of promoting international cooperation. Research institutes at 27 locations have pooled their work as:
- German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK)
- German Centre for Research into Infectious Diseases (DZI)
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK)
- German Centre for Pulmonary Research (DZL)
- German Centre for Neuro-degenerative Diseases (DZNE)
- German Centre for Diabetes Research (DZD)
More targeted treatment of diseases with customised medicines
So far, the treatment of diseases, the type of medication and the dosage of medicines usually follow standardised guidelines and processes. The individual differences between persons, especially their differing genetic predisposition – for example in terms of metabolising medication or physiological differences in metabolism – are often not taken into consideration. The challenge of customised medicine is to integrate these differences into treatment by means of diagnostic procedures and appropriate therapies.
Prolonging health by prevention and healthy diet
The often stated wish ”stay healthy“ is omnipresent. Besides this general statement, it is the objective of the action plan ”Prevention and Nutritional Research“ to formulate concrete references which actively promote health preservation in humans. How can diseases be avoided or which diseases are related to certain foods and luxury foods or medicines?
The insights gained in health research are to culminate in strategies in which ”Nutritional Competence“ can be imparted to specific target groups. For example, the BMBF-sponsored collaborative project ”Allipids“ examines which foods contribute to disease prevention. Questions as to when preventive checkups make sense and from which point in time treatment is recommended, are all aspects of preventive strategies which also take into account age and gender-specific patient characteristics. Establishing a national cohort is a further contribution for implementing the central idea and objectives of prevention and early diagnosis of diseases.
Is the progress in health research utilised in daily practice?
Next to the central aspects of health research, it is important to develop suitable strategies to implement new therapeutic aspects and to integrate new medicinal products in the daily routine of hospitals and medical practices in Germany. To ensure best possible treatment, experts develop guidelines, for example for the treatment of tumours. These encompass diagnostics, treatment and post-care recommendations.
The costs of comprehensive treatment also need to be considered for every new product or method. Studies comparing medicinal products and therapies in the therapy optimisation studies of the competence networks make a valuable contribution to lowering costs in the health system, without endangering optimal care for patients and the quality of the health system.
