The HUNT study: A population-based cohort for genetic research

Ben M Brumpton^{1

2

3}, Sarah Graham⁴, Ida Surakka⁴, Anne Heidi Skogholt¹, Mari Løset^{1

5}, Lars G Fritsche⁶, Brooke Wolford^{7

8}, Wei Zhou^{9

10}, Jonas Bille Nielsen¹¹, Oddgeir L Holmen^{1

2}, Maiken E Gabrielsen^{1

2}, Laurent Thomas^{1

12

13

14}, Laxmi Bhatta¹, Humaira Rasheed¹, He Zhang⁴, Hyun Min Kang⁶, Whitney Hornsby⁴, Marta Riise Moksnes¹, Eivind Coward¹, Mads Melbye¹, Guro F Giskeødegård¹, Jørn Fenstad², Steinar Krokstad^{2

14}, Marit Næss^{2

15}, Arnulf Langhammer^{2

15}, Michael Boehnke⁶, Gonçalo R Abecasis¹⁶, Bjørn Olav Åsvold^{1

2

17}, Kristian Hveem^{1

2}, Cristen J Willer^{1

4

6

18}

Affiliations

¹ K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
² HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Levanger 7600, Norway.
³ Clinic of Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
⁵ Department of Dermatology, Clinic of Orthopaedy, Rheumatology and Dermatology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
⁶ Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
⁷ Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
⁸ Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
⁹ Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
¹⁰ Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark.
¹² Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
¹³ BioCore-Bioinformatics Core Facility, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
¹⁴ Clinic of Laboratory Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
¹⁵ Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Hospital Trust, Levanger, Norway.
¹⁶ Regeneron Genetics Center, Tarrytown, NY 10591, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Endocrinology, Clinic of Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
¹⁸ Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

PMID: 36777998
PMCID: PMC9903730
DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100193

The HUNT study: A population-based cohort for genetic research

Ben M Brumpton et al. Cell Genom. 2022.

. 2022 Oct 12;2(10):100193.

doi: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100193.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
² HUNT Research Centre, Department of Public Health and Nursing, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Levanger 7600, Norway.
³ Clinic of Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
⁴ Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
⁵ Department of Dermatology, Clinic of Orthopaedy, Rheumatology and Dermatology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
⁶ Department of Biostatistics and Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
⁷ Department of Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
⁸ Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
⁹ Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
¹⁰ Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
¹¹ Department of Epidemiology Research, Statens Serum Institute, Copenhagen, Denmark.
¹² Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
¹³ BioCore-Bioinformatics Core Facility, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
¹⁴ Clinic of Laboratory Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway.
¹⁵ Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Hospital Trust, Levanger, Norway.
¹⁶ Regeneron Genetics Center, Tarrytown, NY 10591, USA.
¹⁷ Department of Endocrinology, Clinic of Medicine, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim 7030, Norway.
¹⁸ Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.

PMID: 36777998
PMCID: PMC9903730
DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2022.100193

Abstract

The Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) is a population-based cohort of ∼229,000 individuals recruited in four waves beginning in 1984 in Trøndelag County, Norway. Approximately 88,000 of these individuals have available genetic data from array genotyping. HUNT participants were recruited during four community-based recruitment waves and provided information on health-related behaviors, self-reported diagnoses, family history of disease, and underwent physical examinations. Linkage via the Norwegian personal identification number integrates digitized health care information from doctor visits and national health registries including death, cancer and prescription registries. Genome-wide association studies of HUNT participants have provided insights into the mechanism of cardiovascular, metabolic, osteoporotic, and liver-related diseases, among others. Unique features of this cohort that facilitate research include nearly 40 years of longitudinal follow-up in a motivated and well-educated population, family data, comprehensive phenotyping, and broad availability of DNA, RNA, urine, fecal, plasma, and serum samples.

Keywords: big data; biobank; cardiovascular health; complex disease; electronic health records; genetic epidemiology; genetics; longitudinal; omics; public health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

G.R.A. works for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. C.J.W.’s spouse works for Regeneron Pharmaceuticals.

Figures

**Figure 1**
The Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT), Trøndelag, Norway The county of Trøndelag is shaded light blue, and the orange point indicates the location of the HUNT Research Center at Levanger.

**Figure 2**
Sample sizes across the HUNT1-4 surveys and details of key data and biological samples DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid; HUNT, Trøndelag Health Study; RNA, ribonucleic acid.

**Figure 3**
Genotyped samples from HUNT available from the different HUNT surveys (n = 88,615) HUNT, Trøndelag Health Study.

**Figure 4**
Genotyping and imputation-based approach in HUNT (A) Flowchart of the approach. (B) Number of variants captured by each approach. HUNT, Trøndelag Health Study; HRC, Haplotype Reference Consortium; k, thousand; M, million; TOPMed, Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine; WGS, whole-genome sequencing. ∗Not all genotyping arrays included custom content. ^#Only 1,200 HUNT samples were sequenced at the time the HRC was established; however, 2,201 were included in the HRC + HUNT WGS panel.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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The HUNT study: A population-based cohort for genetic research

Affiliations

The HUNT study: A population-based cohort for genetic research

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources