Using the data of residents' registration offices, a random sample of 35,008 persons was drawn from the residents of the city of Mainz and the district of Mainz-Bingen between 2007 and 2012. Representative subsamples were drawn from this sample and the respective individuals were invited to participate in the study. In total, more than 15,000 persons were examined at the study center. For this reason, it is not possible to include "volunteers" in the study.

To ensure the representativeness of the study, the selection of participants was based on strict criteria. Thus, equal numbers of persons of both sexes were drawn from the city of Mainz and from the district of Mainz-Bingen as well as equal numbers of persons per age decade from the 35- to 74-year-old age group. Furthermore, the representativeness of the study was checked based on a detailed evaluation of interviews with non-participants.

After an invitation has been issued and the decision to participate in the study has been made, a detailed examination is conducted at our study center with a focus on the cardiovascular system. After 2.5 years, all participants are asked about their health development during a short telephone interview, before we interview them again by telephone after 5 years and invite them to another examination at the study center.

With their participation, all study participants have already made an important contribution to research at Mainz University Medical Center to this date and thus to the medicine of tomorrow. However, follow-up data on health are particularly important for the scientific evaluation of the study. Therefore, participation in the follow-up within the study is of great importance.

For you personally, participation in the follow-up examinations of the Gutenberg Health Study has the advantage of receiving another comprehensive and thorough preventive examination every 5 years. The study center is equipped with the most modern diagnostic instruments and on-site care is provided by qualified personnel.

The entire examination is free of charge for you and the examination results will be made available to you immediately for discussion with your family doctor upon request.

A pre-existing condition does not stand in the way of your participation in the study. On the contrary, we would be pleased if you participated and thus enabled us to learn more about your condition, its course and accompanying symptoms.

Of course. Your participation in the study is voluntary at all times. During every visit at the study center, you will be asked again for your consent to various aspects of participation and you are free to not consent (anymore) to certain aspects or altogether. You can also withdraw your consent at a later point in time without giving reason. If you completely revoke your consent, the reference to your person of the data stored up to that point in time will be deleted permanently and it will no longer be possible to reconstruct it in the future.