The HBCS cohort is composed of 8760 individuals born between 1934 and 1944 in Helsinki University Central Hospital. Between 2001 and 2003, a randomly selected sample of 928 males and 1075 females participated in a clinical follow-up study with a focus on cardiovascular, metabolic and reproductive health, cognitive function and depressive symptoms. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the National Public Health Institute, and informed consent was obtained from all participants.
