The German National Cohort (GNC), presented as a prospective epidemiologic study resource for health and disease research in Germany, is an interdisciplinary, multicenter, population-based cohort study currently undertaken by a network of over 25 institutions in Germany. The primary goal is to develop new strategies for risk assessment, early detection and prevention of multifactor diseases, which will burden the aging German population, with core focus on cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative, respiratory and infectious diseases.

The NAKO Health Study is a long-term population study throughout Germany with duration of 20-30 years. It is organized and carried out by a network of German research institutions consisting of the Helmholtz Association, the universities and the Leibniz Association.The aim of the study is to investigate the cause of widespread diseases such as heart attacks, cancer, diabetes and infectious diseases. The scientists hope to find answers to the central questions, such as:

• How do these diseases develop?
• Are there factors that promote their development?
• What role do our genes, the environmental influence, our lifestyle and social factors play?
• Can we protect ourselves from these diseases?
• How can these diseases be detected at an early stage?

In order to answer these questions, 200,000 randomly selected citizens between the ages of 20 and 69 are undergoing comprehensive medical examinations and are being questioned about their lifestyle habits (e.g. physical activity, smoking, diet, occupation) in a total of 18 study centers throughout Germany. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is performed on a subpopulation of the study participants at five selected centers. This additional MRI examination is carried out in a highly standardized manner using a uniform MRI scanner. The image data will make a valuable contribution to answering the research questions of NAKO.

The NAKO Imaging Core for Incidental Findings at our Department of Radiology is responsible for training and certification of the radiologists, takes part in the quality assurance of the study and offers a continuous support in case of MRI-related issues. We are also taking part in the study as one of the MRI centers.