Cohort Profile: Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg (KORA) 1984–2024
The KORA study (Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg) is a German population-based prospective cohort study investigating risk factors, early detection, and prevention of chronic diseases. KORA focuses on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, health in old age, lung health, and the role of social determinants and environmental exposures. The KORA study recruited 17 602 adult participants aged 25–74 years in four baseline surveys conducted between 1984 and 2001 in the Region of Augsburg, Germany. It includes up to 40 years of active follow-up for the initial participants and is ongoing to date. In 2021, of the initial 17 602 participants, 6493 participants were deceased and 2000 participants were lost to follow-up. Besides morbidity and mortality follow-ups, repeated follow-up examinations were conducted in subpopulations with questionnaire-based risk factor and socio-economic assessments. Genetic and molecular phenotyping contributed to identifying the underlying genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic signatures of non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, the study is enriched by detailed environmental data at the place of residence and the establishment of a unique air-pollution measurement station. Data and biosamples can be requested for research projects via the KORA.PASST use and access hub (https://helmholtz-muenchen.managed-otrs.com/external).
Authors
- Holger Schulz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5375-0030)
- Margit Heier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7317-7566)
- Kathrin Wolf
- Michael Laxy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8775-7417)
- Bettina Lorenz‐Depiereux (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7215-9174)
- Susanne Rospleszcz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4788-2341)
- Barbara Thorand (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8416-6440)
- Reiner Leidl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7115-7510)
- Wolfgang Köenig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2064-9603)
- Rolf Holle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5395-2695)
- Andrea L.C. Schneider (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0026-5052)
- Marco Dallavalle (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6986-3934)
- Ina‐Maria Rückert‐Eheberg (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5418-283X)
- Stefan Karrasch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9807-2915)
- Rui Wang‐Sattler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8794-8229)
- Marie Standl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5345-2049)
- Alexandra Schneider (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1084-2442)
- Lars Schwettmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0935-6989)
- Harald Grallert
- Mélanie Waldenberger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0583-5093)
- Christian Gieger (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6986-9554)
- Birgit Linkohr (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3387-5685)
- Karl-Heinz Ladwig (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0221-311X)
- Heinz‐Erich Wichmann
- Annette Peters (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0984-2258)
Institutions
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg (DE)
- Zimmer Biomet (Netherlands) (NL)
- Universität Ulm (DE)
- University Medical Center Freiburg (DE)
- University Hospital Augsburg (DE)
- TUM Klinikum (DE)
- Helmholtz Zentrum München (DE)
- LMU Klinikum (DE)
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DE)
- Institut für Urheber- und Medienrecht (DE)
- German Center for Lung Research (DE)
- Deutsches Herzzentrum München (DE)
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DE)
- Technical University of Munich (DE)
- Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- International Journal of Epidemiology
- Published
- 2025-10-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyaf187
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Health and Medical Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.82