Twelve years ago, he was the first participant at the Düsseldorf Study Centre – and now he was there for the third time: for the 10-year follow-up to the NAKO Health Study. His long-standing participation is a fine example of the commitment shown by the more than 200,000 people across Germany who have been taking part in the German National Cohort (NAKO) since its inception.
When the NAKO began more than a decade ago, the aim was clear: to improve research into common diseases such as cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in the long term. To this end, the study employs a unique approach: repeatedly examining the same participants over many years. This longitudinal data is invaluable to research, as it enables changes to be observed over time and helps to better understand causal relationships.
For Eric Steil, a participant from Düsseldorf, this continuity is also a key factor in his motivation:
„“I’m staying with the study because I’m convinced that my data makes an important contribution to research into common diseases and can therefore help many people. At the same time, I appreciate that the comprehensive examinations give me insights into my own state of health and allow me to compare my current results with previous ones,” says Eric Steil, a NAKO participant in Düsseldorf..
“Long-term participation is of great importance to NAKO and by no means a given. It lays the foundation for tracking changes over time and gaining reliable insights for health research,” says Nina Ebert, Head of the NAKO Study Centre in Düsseldorf.
The repeated assessments – from the initial assessment through the 5-year follow-up (first re-examination) to the current 10-year follow-up (second re-examination) – show how health changes over time. It is precisely this long-term perspective that makes the NAKO Health Study a unique research platform both in Germany and internationally.