title: The ophthalmic branch of the Gutenberg Health Study: study design, cohort profile and self-reported diseases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper describes the study design, methodology, cohort profile and self-reported diseases in the ophthalmological branch of the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The GHS is an ongoing, prospective, interdisciplinary, single-center, population-based cohort study in Germany. The main goals of the ophthalmological section are to assess the prevalence and incidence of ocular diseases and to explore risk factors, genetic determinants and associations with systemic diseases and conditions. The eye examination at baseline included a medical history, self-reported eye diseases, visual acuity, refractive errors, intraocular pressure, visual field, pachymetry, keratometry, fundus photography and tear sampling. The 5-year follow-up visit additionally encompassed optical coherence tomography, anterior segment imaging and optical biometry. The general examination included anthropometry; blood pressure measurement; carotid artery ultrasound; electrocardiogram; echocardiography; spirometry; cognitive tests; questionnaires; assessment of mental conditions; and DNA, RNA, blood and urine sampling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 15,010 participants (aged 35-74 years at the time of inclusion), ocular data are available for 14,700 subjects (97.9%). The mean visual acuity (standard deviation), mean spherical equivalent, median decimal visual acuity, and mean intraocular pressure were 0.08 (0.17) logMar, -0.42 (2.43) diopters, 0.9 and 14.24 (2.79) mm Hg, respectively. The frequencies of self-reported strabismus, glaucoma, surgery for retinal detachment and retinal vascular occlusions were 2.7%, 2.3%, 0.2% and 0.4%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The GHS is the most extensive dataset of ophthalmic diseases and conditions and their risk factors in Germany and one of the largest cohorts worldwide. This dataset will provide new insight in the epidemiology of ophthalmic diseases and related medical specialties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Klinik Pallas, Olten, Switzerland.
authors.forename: René
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Höhn
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Kottler
authors.affiliation: NIHR Biomedical Research Center at Moorfields Eye Hospital, NHS Foundation Trust, and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Tunde
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peto
authors.affiliation: Institute for Medical Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blettner
authors.affiliation: Preventive Cardiology and Preventive Medicine / Department of Medicine 2, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Münzel
authors.affiliation: Clinic for General and Interventional Cardiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Blankenberg
authors.affiliation: Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Karl J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Lackner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beutel
authors.affiliation: Preventive Cardiology and Preventive Medicine / Department of Medicine 2, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany; Center for Thrombosis and Hemostasis, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany; German Center for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), partner site Rhine-Main, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Philipp S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Wild
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Center Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pfeiffer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015340:Epidemiologic Research Design; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report