Metabolomics is the systematic study of metabolites, which are intermediates and end-products of all metabolic activities in our cells. Metabolic profiling can also provide detailed information on lipoproteins and their content in the blood stream. Reprogrammed metabolism is an emerging hallmark of cancer, and metabolic processes are also closely linked to other disease states such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and inborn errors of metabolism.

Access to the HUNT biobank provides a unique opportunity to perform large-scale metabolic profiling of blood samples from a diverse group of individuals. Large-scale metabolic characterization can provide novel information on ongoing disease states and facilitate the prediction of future diseases for early identification of individuals at risk.