Phenomic profiles and disease patterns of 1.9 million participants from Our Future Health

Abstract

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.