Cohort profile: the German Diabetes Study (GDS).

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Metabolic Diseases
• Clinical Research

Background:

• The German Diabetes Study (GDS) is a prospective longitudinal cohort study.
• It focuses on the impact of diabetes subphenotypes on disease course and comorbidities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify prognostic factors and mechanisms in diabetes development.
• To understand the progression of diabetes and related comorbidities.

Main Methods:

• Intensive phenotyping within 12 months of diagnosis, with 5-year follow-ups for 20 years.
• Dynamic tests (glucagon, mixed meal, IVGTT, clamp) for beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity.
• Advanced imaging (MRI, multinuclei spectroscopy) for body composition and metabolism.
• Comprehensive vascular and organ assessments for comorbidity monitoring.
• Biobanking of patient specimens for multiomics and histological analyses.
• Questionnaires on lifestyle, socioeconomic factors, and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Results:

• Currently includes 237 type 1 and 456 type 2 diabetes patients.
• Recruitment targets 3000 patients and a control group without family history of diabetes.

Conclusions:

• The GDS provides a rich dataset for understanding diabetes heterogeneity.
• Longitudinal data will elucidate disease trajectories and identify targets for intervention.