Mortality and causes of death in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES), 2001-2023

The Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) is a large prospective cohort study established to investigate determinants of chronic disease. To evaluate overall and cause-specific mortality, KoGES records were linked to the official Causes of Death Statistics compiled by Statistics Korea. Of 211,562 participants the KoGES population-based cohorts, 211,428 were successfully linked to official mortality data through December 31, 2023, using resident registration numbers. Over a mean follow-up of 14.9 years, the linked cohort had an overall mortality rate of 5.8 deaths per 1,000 person-years; the rate was higher among men than among women (9.6 vs. 3.9 deaths per 1,000 person-years). Malignant neoplasms, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease were the leading causes of death. As the cohort aged, deaths from causes such as pneumonia increased substantially, a pattern consistent with national mortality statistics. This linked dataset provides a basis for longitudinal analyses of chronic disease progression, survival outcomes, and cause-specific mortality using repeated epidemiologic measurements collected over more than 2 decades of follow-up.