Aims: To investigate the effects of various lifestyles, environmental exposures and metabolic biomarkers on metabolic diseases and their complications.
Scientific rationale: Metabolic diseases are diseases caused by the accumulation of various metabolic risk factors, including obesity, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and so on. Multiple diseases among them may occur simultaneously, share common risk factors, and are associated with increased risks of disability, cancer, and premature death. With the increase of aging population, various metabolic diseases and complications, such as atherosclerosis and vascular calcification, pose great challenges to human health.
Therefore, we hope to utilise the demographic and social factors and clinical information from the UK Biobank and other databases, including lifestyle, diet, health status, environmental exposure, and metabolic indicators, combined with appropriate statistical analysis methods and clinical prediction models, which can investigate associations and interactions between common risk factors of metabolic diseases and the occurrence and progression of these diseases, to provide early intervention for high-risk population and reduce the burden of disease. By combining Mendelian randomization (MR) and other methods, we aim to explore the causal relationship and potential mechanisms between different exposure factors and metabolic diseases, so as to identify relevant biomarkers that can provide assistance for targeted disease prevention and treatment.
Project duration: 36 months.
Public health impact: This study will contribute to our understanding of the aetiology and mechanisms of cardiometabolic diseases and their complications. It will also provide feasibility assessments and valuable recommendations to guide clinical practice in the early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of related diseases.
