Approved Research

Investigating causes and effects of gynecologic diseases.

Lay summary

Gynecologic diseases involving the female reproduction system include pregnancy-related diseases, infection, endocrine diseases and tumors. These diseases affect the reproductive health of women. Gynecologic diseases also increase the chance of developing other common diseases (e.g. cardiovascular disease). However, the causes of gynecologic diseases and the relationship between gynecologic diseases and other common diseases remain incompletely understood. Using the UK Biobank data, we aim to identify the factors that cause gynecologic diseases. We also aim to investigate whether gynecologic diseases cause other common diseases. The findings will help better understand gynecologic diseases. Identifying aetiology of gynecologic diseases may improve targeting prevention, accurate diagnosis and better treatment of diseases. Unpicking the relationships between gynecologic diseases and other common diseases will provide insights into the underlying biological network. The proposed research could promote women's health. We will investigate associations between factors assessed in UK Biobank and risk of gynecologic diseases. We will also use Mendelian randomization approach to investigate whether causal associations exist. The project duration is expected to be three years.