Approved Research

Associations of Lifestyle and Genetic Risk with Incidence of mental disorders and locomotor system diseases

Lay summary

Stating the aims: This proposed study aims to investigate the hypothesis that adherence to a healthy lifestyle may offset genetic risk for mental disorders or locomotor system diseases and to detect the association between exercise, trauma, and mental status, using the UK Biobank longitudinal data

Scientific rationale: Genetic factors influence the status of mental and locomotor wellness. Increasing evidence indicated that lifestyle habits, especially exercise habits, may relate to genetic factors. Past research has demonstrated that many mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia have strong, polygenic, genetic bases, as well as many musculoskeletal diseases, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, degenerative spinal diseases, ankylosing spondylitis, scoliosis, et.al. In the last ten years, several genome-wide association studies have identified polymorphisms associated with the development of mental disorders and locomotor system diseases. Lifestyle is a common and crucial modifiable risk factor for them.  However, the interactive effects of genetic risk and a healthy lifestyle on this mental and locomotor well-being, as well as the association between these two systems are still not fully appreciated.

Project duration: 36 months

Public health impact: We expect that participants with high genetic risk and unfavorable lifestyle had a synergistic or antagonistic effect on incident mental/ locomotor system diseases compared with participants with low genetic risk and a favorable lifestyle. We expect to obtain the incidence of mental/ locomotor system diseases and their comorbidities, as well as the provision of health care for patients with mental/ locomotor system diseases.