The overall goal of this project is to study the causal roles of the 36 biomarkers currently being assayed in UK Biobank for development of coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure. Knowledge about causal relations of these 36 biomarkers with cardiovascular outcomes will give important insights regarding the etiological understanding of these diseases and accelerate development of new prevention strategies, including druggable targets. Hence, the proposed research does meet UK Biobank’s stated purpose via improving the prevention and treatment of heart disease and stroke. First, we will study associations of 36 circulating biomarkers representing different biological systems with incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure.
Second, by combing data from the UK Biobank gene analyses with the biomarker data, we will perform genetic studies across the whole human genome for all 36 biomarkers to establish common genetic variation associated with respective biomarker.
Third, we will perform so called Mendelian randomization analyses to study whether the biomarkers are causally related to coronary heart disease, stroke and heart failure.
Full cohort (n=502,650).