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Kim, S.H.* ; Arora, I.* ; Agyemang, C.* ; Anjana, R.M.* ; Olav Åsvold, B.* ; Blom, M.T.* ; Bhupathiraju, S.N.* ; Bonnefond, A.* ; Chan, J.C.* ; Davis, T.M.E.* ; Hveem, K.* ; Jørgensen, M.E.* ; Lager, A.* ; Lind, L.* ; Melander, O.* ; Natali, A.* ; Price, J.F.* ; Raina, P.* ; Roden, M.* ; Rolandsson, O.* ; Rooney, M.R.* ; Mousavi, S.M.* ; Spósito, A.C.* ; Thomsen, R.W.* ; Thorand, B. ; Dam, R.M.v.* ; Venkataraman, K.* ; Wild, S.H.* ; Yu, J.H.* ; Elders, P.J.M.* ; Beulens, J.W.J.* ; Rutters, F.*

A narrative review of what cohorts have taught us and how they have laid the foundation for much of our understanding of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetologia 69, 2685–2711 (2026)
Publ. Version/Full Text DOI PMC
Open Access Hybrid
Creative Commons Lizenzvertrag
This narrative review provides a historical perspective on how observational research on type 2 diabetes has been developed and consolidated over the last 50 years and how well-designed cohort studies will provide us with knowledge for research and practice in the future and aid guideline development. We have included data from a large number of cohorts from every continent that have been used to study the development and/or progression of type 2 diabetes, including cohorts that are general population-based, disease-based, intervention-based and registry-based. We have structured the results from the past 50 years based on the following themes: diagnosis and screening, complications, risk factors and pathophysiology. We also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of observational research when compared with other research designs. Finally, we discuss the emerging and future directions for type 2 diabetes research using cohorts, which include novel developments, such as artificial intelligence, precision health and the exposome. We conclude that cohort research has significantly advanced our understanding of type 2 diabetes and aided guideline development, and complements experimental work, such as human randomised controlled trials and animal studies. Both approaches are essential and complementary in our pursuit to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the development and progression of type 2 diabetes, and to change dogma, practice and policies for better outcomes.
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Publication type Article: Journal article
Document type Review
Keywords Observational Study ; Guideline ; Narrative Review ; Type 2 Diabetes ; Foundation (evidence) ; Perspective (graphical) ; Narrative ; Strengths And Weaknesses ; Cohort Study ; Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; 10-year Follow-up; Cardiovascular-disease Risk; Urban-rural Epidemiology; Coronary-heart-disease; All-cause Mortality; Insulin-resistance; Swedish Men; Life-style; Glycemic Deterioration; Independent Predictor
ISSN (print) / ISBN 0012-186X
e-ISSN 1432-0428
Journal Diabetologia
Quellenangaben Volume: 69, Issue: , Pages: 2685–2711 Article Number: , Supplement: ,
Publisher Springer
Publishing Place Berlin ; Heidelberg [u.a.]
Reviewing status Peer reviewed
Institute(s) Institute of Epidemiology (EPI)
Grants NIH/NIDDK
NIH