| Title: | Associations of diet and lifestyle with chronic non-communicable diseases: a multi-modal analysis using genetic, biomarker, and imaging data from UK Biobank |
| Lead Institution: | China Medical University P.R.C |
| Principal investigator: |
Application 1127192
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About
Project Outline Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders, represent the leading global health burden. Diet and lifestyle are among the most modifiable risk factors for these conditions, yet their complex interactions with biological systems remain incompletely understood. This project aims to investigate the associations between dietary and lifestyle factors and a wide range of chronic NCDs, leveraging the rich, multi-modal data available in the UK Biobank. Research Questions: 1. How are specific dietary patterns and lifestyle behaviors (e.g. physical activity, smoking, alcohol, sleep) associated with the incidence and progression of major chronic NCDs? 2. To what extent do multi-modal data types-genetic variants, biomarkers, imaging phenotypes-mediate or modify these associations? 3. Can integrated models combining lifestyle, diet, and biological data improve prediction of chronic disease risk beyond traditional models? Research Objectives: Objectives: 1. To characterize dietary and lifestyle patterns across the UK Biobank cohort. 2. To quantify associations between these patterns and multiple chronic NCD outcomes. 3. To explore mediation and interaction effects using genetic, metabolic, and imaging data. 4. To build integrative risk models for selected diseases incorporating multi-modal data. Scientific Rationale: Previous studies have established broad links between diet/lifestyle and chronic disease, but often rely on limited data types or single disease outcomes. UK Biobank offers a unique opportunity to conduct a large-scale, multi-outcome, and multi-modal investigation using harmonized data from over 500,000 individuals. This approach allows a systems-level understanding of how modifiable behaviors influence disease risk and progression, opening the door to precision prevention strategies targeting high-risk subgroups.2 Publications
| Pub ID | Title | Author(s) | Year | Journal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20565 | A large-scale human plasma metabolite atlas from over 380,000 participants | Zhirong Li (+4) | 2026 | Communications Biology |
| 20537 | Metabolomic signatures of brain aging: A multimodal and genetic study | Zhirong Li (+4) | 2026 | Molecular Psychiatry |
Enabling scientific discoveries that improve human health