Cohort Profile: TRacing Etiology of Non-communicable Diseases (TREND): Rationale, Progress and Perspective

The TRacing Etiology of Non-communicable Diseases (TREND) cohort is a prospective longitudinal cohort and biobank that is mainly based in Ma'anshan, Anhui Province, China. The primary aim of the study is to decipher comprehensive molecular characterization and deep phenotyping for a broad spectrum of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), which focuses on providing mechanistic insights with diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic implications. The recruitment was initiated in 2023 and is expected to complete in 2025 with 20,000 participants originated from urban and rural area. In the first phase, 3360 participants were recruited. Follow-up visits are scheduled annually and intervally for a total of 30 years. The cohort includes individuals aged over 18 years. Two participants with first-degree linkage were recruited from a household. The age distribution of recruited participants was stratified into four categories: 18-45, 45-55, 55-65, and ≥65 years, aligning with the population proportions of Ma'anshan. Meanwhile, the gender distribution was controlled by pairing men and women from the same household. Data collected at baseline includes socio-economic information, medical history, lifestyle and nutritional habits, anthropometrics, blood oxygen, electrocardiogram (ECG), heart sound, as well as blood, urine and feces tests results. Molecular profiling includes genome, proteome, metabolome, microbiome and extracellular vesicles -omics. Blood, urine and fecal samples are collected and stored at -80 °C in a storage facility for future research.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s43657-024-00196-4.