Background:
Chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, metabolic, gastrointestinal, hepatic, and neurodegenerative disorders, represent a paramount global health challenge. The complex interplay of genetics, environment, and lifestyle in their onset and progression remains incompletely understood, hindering effective prevention and management.
Research Questions:
1. What are the novel and shared risk factors (e.g., genetic, lifestyle, environmental) across a spectrum of major chronic diseases?
2. Can we identify robust biomarkers for early detection, risk stratification, and monitoring of these conditions?
3. What are the underlying biological pathways that connect different chronic diseases (multimorbidity)?
Objectives:
To identify and quantify the associations of genetic, proteomic, metabolomic, and epidemiological factors with the risk of major chronic diseases. To discover and validate novel circulating biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis. To explore the shared pathophysiology and causal relationships between different chronic conditions.
Scientific Rationale:
The UK Biobank’s large-scale, prospective design, with its rich collection of genetic, multi-omics, and deep phenotypic data, is an unparalleled resource. An integrated approach allows us to move beyond single-disease studies, uncovering shared mechanisms for a holistic understanding of chronic disease aetiology. By triangulating evidence from different data types, we can identify robust, potentially causal relationships, paving the way for improved prevention strategies and personalized health management.