Research Question
Over the past two decades, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases (CVMD), including atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, have remained the leading causes of mortality worldwide, imposing a significant socioeconomic burden on both society and individuals. Understanding the genetic susceptibility, environmental influences, lifestyle factors, plasma biomarkers, and clinical determinants contributing to CVMD pathogenesis is crucial for advancing risk prediction and precision prevention. However, as CVMD arises from the complex interplay of multiple pathological factors, the collective impact of these interactions on disease development remains largely unexplored.
Objective
This project aims to conduct a multidimensional analysis to identify risk factors and potential biomarkers, elucidate causal relationships underlying CVMD, and enhance risk prediction and precision prevention strategies.
Scientific Rationale
Previous studies have highlighted associations between air pollution, plasma biomarkers, lifestyle factors, and CVMD. However, most of these investigations are limited in scope, focusing on specific pollutants, biomarkers, or lifestyle aspects. Furthermore, the role of genetic susceptibility, gene-environment interactions, and the underlying mechanisms driving CVMD onset and progression remain insufficiently understood, necessitating large-scale studies for causal inference. To bridge these gaps, we will integrate multi-omics data, including proteomics, metabolomics, and genomics, with comprehensive lifestyle, environmental, and epidemiological information from the UK Biobank. This comprehensive exploration will facilitate the validation of previously reported associations, the identification of novel risk factors and biomarkers, and the elucidation of key mechanisms underlying CVMD development.
