Approved Research

Genetic factors underlying the association between cardiovascular health and circulating protein and metabolite levels

Lay summary

We aim to investigate the biological basis for individual differences in protein and metabolite levels, and how it relates to cardiovascular markers and health outcomes in different ethnic groups. The published literature suggests a number of links between disturbances in protein levels and cardiovascular risk factors and negative health outcomes. By further investigating the nature of this link, and the underlying genetic factors, we believe that it will be possible to contribute to the prevention and/or treatment of cardiovascular disease. We will interrogate the UK Biobank's DNA marker database for associations between genetic factors and database entries related to factors associated with cardiovascular health, and seek single associations as well as shared genetic factors. We will also use the UK Biobank data as a replication cohort for associations found in our own cohort study in Brazil.