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Published on: August 20, 2019
Phenomic profiles and disease patterns of 1.9 million participants from Our Future Health
Vincent J Straub1, Stefania Benonisdottir2,3, Giovanni Scotti Bentivoglio2,4
1Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford and Nuffield College, Oxford, UK. vincent.straub@ndph.ox.ac.uk.
Abstract:
Our Future Health is a prospective study aiming to recruit 5 million UK-resident adults to enable discovery and translation of disease prevention, detection and treatment approaches. So far, more than 2.5 million have enrolled, and baseline phenotypic data are available for >1.9 million participants. Here we provide an assessment of phenotypes-self-reported health-related behaviors, geolocation, diagnoses and medication, in- and outpatient visits, cancer registry and cause of death-and comparison of disease patterns against national estimates and the UK Biobank cohort. Sociodemographic, lifestyle and health-related characteristics reflected UK population patterns; all but one minority ethnic group and the most socioeconomically deprived groups were underrepresented. The prevalence of several major self-reported conditions, particularly mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety, was higher than national estimates and directionally concordant with the UK Biobank (r = 0.78). Associations with known clinical correlates replicated across both cohorts (r = 0.80). Medication-use patterns and cancer prevalence followed expected age-related gradients, with lower lung cancer rates than national data. As recruitment progresses, electronic health records can help specify disease patterns and systematically assess biases.
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