The German National Cohort: aims, study design and organization

Abstract

The German National Cohort (GNC) is a joint interdisciplinary endeavour of scientists from the Helmholtz and the Leibniz Association, universities, and other research institutes. Its aim is to investigate the causes for the development of major chronic diseases, i.e. cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative/-psychiatric diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory and infectious diseases, and their pre-clinical stages or functional health impairments. Across Germany, a random sample of the general population will be drawn by 18 regional study centres, including a total of 100,000 women and 100,000 men aged 20–69 years. The baseline assessments include an extensive interview and self-completion questionnaires, a wide range of medical examinations and the collection of various biomaterials. In a random subgroup of 20 % of the participants (n = 40,000) an intensified examination (“Level 2”) programme will be performed. In addition, in five of the 18 study centres a total of 30,000 study participants will take part in a magnetic resonance imaging examination programme, and all of these participants will also be offered the intensified Level 2 examinations. After 4–5 years, all participants will be invited for a re-assessment. Information about chronic disease endpoints will be collected through a combination of active follow-up (including questionnaires every 2–3 years) and record linkages. The GNC is planned for an overall duration of 25–30 years. It will provide a major, central resource for population-based epidemiology in Germany, and will help to identify new and tailored strategies for early detection, prediction, and primary prevention of major diseases.

CONSTANCES: a general prospective population-based cohort for occupational and environmental epidemiology: cohort profile

“…Alternatively, if the factors of exposure are frequent, a general prospective population-based cohort may be drawn from a well-defined population. Some general prospective population-based cohorts were specifically designed to study occupationally induced diseases,3–5 while others had a larger scope but also included the collection of occupational factors 6–14. CONSTANCES was also designed to cover a large scope of topics, with a special focus on occupational and environmental factors.…”

Study protocol for the Maule Cohort (MAUCO) of chronic diseases, Chile 2014–2024

“…Prevalence and dynamics of risk factors for CDs and their biomarkers will be measured in a unique epidemiological setting thus far not considered in the large cohorts of developed countries. This cohort is similar in aims to European cohorts, such as each of the German National Cohorts [27] and LifeLines Cohort Study & Biobank [28]. MAUCO is exploring a broad range of exposures from genetics to environmental exposures and their impact on health status, quality of life, aging and cognitive performance.…”

The Application of Genomics in Diabetes: Barriers to Discovery and Implementation

“…The increasing availability of electronic health data and a recognition of the large sample sizes required for genomic discovery research have led to the emergence of another model: biobank studies that genotype tens or hundreds of thousands of individuals and link these genetic data with participants’ electronic health data to create large data repositories. Some of these studies include a baseline visit for physical measurements, the collection of specimens, and imaging tests (103,104), similar to the traditional cohort studies, and they all rely on electronic health databases for longitudinal information on health care encounters, laboratory tests, vital status, and medication use. Two of the largest biobank studies, the Million Veteran Program (105) and the UK Biobank (104), have recruited close to 500,000 individuals each.…”