The HUNT Study: a population-based cohort for genetic research

Abstract

The Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) is a population-based cohort of ~229,000 individuals recruited in four waves beginning in 1984 in Trøndelag County, Norway. ~88,000 of these individuals have available genetic data from array genotyping. HUNT participants were recruited during 4 community-based recruitment waves and provided information on health-related behaviors, self-reported diagnoses, family history of disease, and underwent physical examinations. Linkage via the Norwegian personal identification number integrates digitized health care information from doctor visits and national health registries including death, cancer and prescription registries. Genome-wide association studies of HUNT participants have provided insights into the mechanism of cardiovascular, metabolic, osteoporotic and liver-related diseases, among others. Unique features of this cohort that facilitate research include nearly 40 years of longitudinal follow-up in a motivated and well-educated population, family data, comprehensive phenotyping, and broad availability of DNA, RNA, urine, fecal, plasma, and serum samples.

Lowering of circulating sclerostin may increase risk of atherosclerosis and its risk factors: evidence from a genome-wide association meta-analysis followed by Mendelian randomization

“…We aimed to understand the genetic architectural of sclerostin and the causal role of sclerostin inhibition on atherosclerosis related diseases and risk factors. First, we conducted a GWAS meta-analysis and post-GWAS follow-up analyses of circulating sclerostin in 33,961 European individuals, which including nine cohorts: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), Die Deutsche Diabetes Dialyse Study (4D), The Gothenburg Osteoporosis and Obesity Determinants (GOOD), and the MANOLIS cohort, Fenland( 19 ), INTERVAL( 20 ), Trøndelag health study (HUNT)( 21 )( 22 )( 23 ), the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI)( 24 )( 25 )( 26 )( 27 ), the Ludwigshafen Risk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC)( 28 )( 29 ). The cohort details were included in Supplementary Note 1 .…”

The causes and consequences of Alzheimer’s disease: phenome-wide evidence from Mendelian randomization

“…Sensitivity analysis. We used the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) 60,61 62,63 . The current analysis includes genetic data from ~90% (N = 71,860) of participants from HUNT2 and HUNT3 who were genotyped by genome-wide SNP arrays in 2015 60,64 .…”

“…We used the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) 60,61 62,63 . The current analysis includes genetic data from ~90% (N = 71,860) of participants from HUNT2 and HUNT3 who were genotyped by genome-wide SNP arrays in 2015 60,64 . For the replication of Alzheimer's disease PRS-outcome associations in the HUNT study, we followed up 33 outcomes (i.e., those variables available in HUNT with sufficient sample numbers for replication) that were associated with the AD PRS in UK Biobank.…”

Multi-ancestry meta-analysis identifies 2 novel loci associated with ischemic stroke and reveals heterogeneity of effects between sexes and ancestries

“…HUNT (Krokstad et al, 2013) is a population-based dataset with longitudinal hospital registries linked to the whole genome data (Brumpton et al, 2021). For the PRS prediction in HUNT, we defined IS with ICD9-codes 434 and 436, and ICD10-codes I63 and I64, resulting in 4,256 ischemic stroke cases (285 prevalent, 3,971 incident, 62,375 non-cases).…”