The prevalence of neuropsychiatric disease, including mental disorders (e.g. depression, anxiety, schizophrenia) and neurological diseases (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease), is rising, contributing significantly to the global health burden. Neuropsychiatric diseases have a bidirectional correlation with both the pathogenesis and prognosis of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of mortality worldwide. For example, patients with heart failure have a higher prevalence of depression, with nearly 30% of heart failure patients exhibiting depressive symptoms. Additionally, cardiovascular-related mortality rate is twice as high among the patients with severe mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder) compared to the general populations.
This project aims to elucidate the epidemiological and molecular links between neuropsychiatric diseases and cardiovascular diseases by leveraging the extensive dataset provided by the UK Biobank. The research will focus on quantifying the strength and directionality of associations between specific neuropsychiatric disorders and cardiovascular outcomes, while also identifying potential shared risk factors-such as lifestyle, socioeconomic, and genetic contributors-through comprehensive multivariate modeling. In addition, we will investigate the mediating roles of inflammatory markers, metabolic profiles, and other biological pathways using integrated multi-omics data. Finally, the study will explore disease trajectories and prognostic outcomes in individuals with comorbid neuropsychiatric and cardiovascular conditions, aiming to uncover insights that could inform early detection and targeted interventions.
