The Copenhagen General Population Study is a biobank and research-study, which will follow at least 100,000 volunteers from the Copenhagen area in Denmark aged 20years to 100years. Initial enrolment is taking place in one centre and the participants are followed yearly in the Danish Health Registries thereafter.

Participants are all born in Denmark and have a Danish citizenship. Of all the inhabitants in the selected geographical area 25% of the 20-40 years old and 100% of the >40 years old are invited.

At home, participants fill in a thorough questionnaire concerning topics of lifestyle and health, including medication. When the participant arrives at the Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, the answers are reviewed by a health person and any errors or uncertainties are corrected together with the participant.

A physical examination is done, where basic variables such as weight, height, blood pressure, lung function etc. are measured. Blood samples are taken - from which a large number of parameters are measured immediately on the department’s routine analyzers normally used for patients.

Eight vials containing different fractions of peripheral blood are frozen so that it is possible later to measure biologically important substances. Shortly after the visit, DNA is extracted from frozen whole blood if the participant has consented to this.

After the visit, participants receive a short feedback in writing containing the most important findings. If values of certain parameters are outside predefined limits, the participant is advised to visit their general practitioner. If values may indicate a life-threatening condition, the participant is contacted immediately by a doctor from the department.

Each participant defines individually the extent of their permission to the researchers by answering 6 questions concerning informed consent. Dependent on the extent of the informed consent, the participants is contacted if questions or relevant information should arise at a later stage.

The Copenhagen General Population Study receives individual and extensive data extracts from the Danish Health Registries on all participants who has consented to this.

Ethics and Governance

The Copenhagen General Population Study is approved by the local ethical scientific committee (H-KF-01-144/01), the Danish Data Protection Agency and by Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital.

The Copenhagen General Population Study was initiated by Professor Børge G. Nordestgaard and is headed by a steering committee consisting of Børge G. Nordestgaard, Anne Tybjærg-Hansen, Niels Fogh-Andersen, Jan Skov Jensen, Merete Appleyard, Stig E. Bojesen and Ruth Frikke-Schmidt.

Funding

The Copenhagen General Population Study is generously housed by Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, and has recieved important contributions from both public and private foundations.