Ageing populations represent a challenge to the sustainability of current healthcare systems.
The need to balance these demographic changes with gains in healthy life years and quality
of life (QoL) constitutes an additional challenge. Aware of this, the European Commission
(EC) launched the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing
(EIPonAHA) in 2012. The EIPonAHA is an interdisciplinary and cross-sector initiative
involving more than 3000 partners with two specific objectives: to increase the healthy life …

The continuous increase in life expectancy (LE) is a global phenomenon. In Europe, the
2013 update of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has established LE in 80 years for
women and 73 years for men [1] and is projected to continue rising [2]. Economic
advancement and improvements in public health are strongly associated with this
achievement. As a consequence, a total of 85 million European people are aged over 65
years, and it is thought that this number will double by 2060. While a cause for celebration …