title: Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center (CMERC) cohort: study protocol and results of the first 3 years of enrollment.
abstract: Although the etiologies of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are widely understood, the goal of finding a globally effective solution for preventing CVD is unrealistic. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a community-based prospective study on the prevention and management of CVD in Korean adults. This study was designed to recruit 8,000 healthy adults over the course of 5 years. The baseline assessment includes a wide range of established CVD risk factors, including demographic characteristics, medical history, health behaviors, psychological conditions, body size and composition, blood pressure, the augmentation index, carotid ultrasonography, an electrocardiogram, and biochemical indicators, as well as some novel factors, such as social network characteristics, exposure to environmental pollutants, inflammatory markers, hemostatic markers, and immunosenescence markers. Annual telephone interviews and follow-up health examinations at 5-year intervals after the baseline assessment are planned to collect information on changes in health status and its determinants. Additionally, indirect follow-up using secondary data sources will be conducted to obtain information on health services utilization and death. So far, more than 6,000 adults have been enrolled during the first three and a half years, and almost all participants have been tracked by annual telephone follow-up surveys. The data have been uploaded to iCReaT, the clinical research information management system of the Korea National Institute of Health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jee-Seon
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-8671-3153
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Bo Mi
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3181-5803
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Hyun
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7141-4532
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Department of Public Health, Yonsei University Graduate School, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Won
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9562-2544
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hye
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1004-2496
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Phil
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5741-0751
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Ha
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3766-9341
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.|Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Etiology Research Center, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Kyoung Hwa
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3408-7568
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Ha
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.|Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Etiology Research Center, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Dae Jung
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1025-2044
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Severance Cardiovascular Hospital and Cardiovascular Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sungha
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5362-478X
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Woo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5347-9591
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.|Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases Etiology Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyeon Chang
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-7867-1240
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Cardiovascular diseases; Cohort studies; Korea; Metabolic diseases