G. Elizabeth Benz I.
My name is Elizabeth Benz. I have received formal training in Physical Therapy (BSc), Clinical Epidemiology (MSc) and Public Health (MPH). Currently, I am completing my PhD thesis on the topic of musculoskeletal ageing and chronic airway diseases at the Erasmus Medical Center University, in Rotterdam (the Netherlands).
Favorite
“Food: I love Italian gelatos and French bread, and I like to cook new recipes like Jamie Oliver’s style, that contain fresh and simple ingredients to share with my family and friends.
Sports: swimming, basketball, biking and running
Travel: I like to visit new places, and enjoy the weather, food, art, and nature of each place”
I aimed to understand the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and potential biomarkers (related to metabolic and inflammatory pathways) of sarcopenia (and its components), as well as the risk of all-cause mortality in older adults with COPD or asthma. I did so by employing data from the Rotterdam Study cohort.
In 2022 I started working on the European SO-NUTS Project at Auvergne University, Clermont-Ferrand (France), under the leadership of Prof. Yves Boirie at the Unit of Human Nutrition. The main focus of my research within the SO-NUTS Project is on the sarcopenic obesity phenotype and its associated risk factors among older people. Currently, I am working on creating a z-score that can be used to assess sarcopenic obesity. This approach relies on the diagnostic criteria recommended by the ESPEN/EASO consensus. I am using data from well-established cohorts such as the Rotterdam Study and the Health ABC Study. I also participate in additional initiatives led by Prof. Fernando Rivadeneira, which specifically address sarcopenia, physical activity, and proteomics.
1. Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity associated with all-cause mortality among older people Benz, E., Pinel, A., Guillet, C., Capel, F., Pereira, B., De Antonio, M., Pouget, M., Cruz-Jentoft, A., Eglseer, D., Topinkova, E., Barazzoni, R., Rivadeneira, F., Ikram, MA., Steur, M., Voortman, T., Schoufour, JD., Weijs, PJM., Boirie, Y. JAMA Networking Open 2024; 7 (3) e243604.
2. Oral corticosteroid use and sarcopenia-related traits in older people with chronic airway disease: a population-based study Benz, E., Lahousse, L., Arinze, J. T., Wijnant, S., de Ridder, M., Rivadeneira, F., Brusselle, G. & Stricker, B. H., 1 Sept 2023, In: ERJ Open Research. 9, 5, 00492-2023.
3. Frailty transitions in older persons with lung function impairment: a population-based study Wijnant, S. R. A., Benz, E., Luik, A. I., Rivadeneira, F., Voortman, T., Brusselle, G. G. & Lahousse, L., 24 Feb 2023, In: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences. 78, 2, p. 349-356 8 p.
4. Sarcopenia, systemic immune-inflammation index and all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older people with COPD and asthma: a population-based study Benz, E., Wijnant, S. R. A., Trajanoska, K., Arinze, J. T., de Roos, E. W., de Ridder, M., Williams, R., van Rooij, F., Verhamme, K. M. C., Ikram, M. A., Stricker, B. H., Rivadeneira, F., Lahousse, L. & Brusselle, G. G., Aug 2022, In: ERJ Open Research. 8, 1, 00628-2021.
5. Sarcopenia in COPD: a systematic review and meta-analysis Benz, E.. Trajanoska, K., Lahousse, L., Schoufour, J., Terzikhan, N., de Roos, E., de Jonge, GB., Williams, R., Franco Duran, OH., Brusselle, G. & Rivadeneira, F., 2019, In: European Respiratory Review. 28, 154, 190049.
6. Characterization of the physical capacity in children of the Chilean National Program of Cystic Fibrosis Puppo, H., Von Oetinger, A., Benz E., Torres-Castro, R., Zagolin, M., Lina Boza, M., Astorga, L., Bozzo, R., Jorquera, P., Kogan, R. & Perillan, J., 2018, In: Revista Chilena De Pediatria-Chile. 89, 5, p. 638-643 6 p.
7. Sarcopenia and Its Clinical Correlates in the General Population: The Rotterdam Study Trajanoska, K., Schoufour, J., Darweesh, S., Benz E., Medina Gomez, M., Alferink, L., Lahousse, L., Brusselle, G., Stricker, B., Darwish Murad, S., Zillikens, M. C., Uitterlinden, A., Ikram, A., Franco Duran, OH. & Rivadeneira, F., 2018, In: Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 33, 7, p. 1209-1218 10 p.
2023
Best Abstract & Travel Awards – ESPEN
2010
Scholarship