UK Biobank News and Research

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Planetary health diet links to longer life and lower emissions

Greater adherence to the Planetary Health Diet was linked to lower all-cause, cancer, and respiratory mortality across large US and UK cohorts, supported by a meta-analysis of 37 studies. Diets higher in PHD foods also had smaller greenhouse gas footprints, reinforcing health and environmental benefits.

9 Sep 2025

$Walking faster may protect your bones and prevent fractures$

Walking faster may protect your bones and prevent fractures

A UK Biobank study links walking pace to osteoporosis risk, revealing brisk walking may protect bones and reduce fracture likelihood, regardless of genetics.

2 Sep 2025

Gut disorders forecast Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s risk years before diagnosis

Study maps clinical, genetic, and proteomic links between gut-brain disorders and neurodegeneration, showing how diabetes, vitamin D deficiency, and bowel disorders forecast Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s years in advance. Multimodal models in biobanks highlight early detection and personalized prevention opportunities.

28 Aug 2025

Food scientists identify worst additives for longevity: flavours, sweeteners, and colourings top list

Researchers analyzing data from 186,744 UK Biobank participants found that ultra-processed food consumption and specific additives, such as sugars, sweeteners, flavorings, and colorings, were linked to higher mortality. Some processing aids showed risks, while gelling agents appeared protective.

27 Aug 2025

Fat location, not BMI, drives heart ageing risk in men and women

Researchers using UK Biobank imaging data found that where fat is stored in the body, not just how much, determines cardiovascular ageing. Visceral, liver, and muscle fat accelerate ageing, while gynoid fat protects women before menopause.

25 Aug 2025

Excessive amounts of visceral fat tied to faster heart aging

Excessive amounts of visceral fat - the hidden fat surrounding organs - is linked with faster aging of the heart, a new study has found.

22 Aug 2025

New genetic study reveals why people age differently

It's a fact of life: Some people age better than others. Some ease into their 90s with mind and body intact, while others battle diabetes, Alzheimer's or mobility issues decades earlier.

20 Aug 2025

Fish oil supplementation can reduce risk of developing type 2 diabetes in prediabetic individuals

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has become one of the leading chronic diseases worldwide in terms of both incidence and mortality.

20 Aug 2025

Plant-based diet linked to lower risk of multimorbidity

In a large-scale multinational study involving over 400,000 women and men aged 37 to 70 years from six European countries, researchers from the University of Vienna, in collaboration with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) (France) and the Kyung Hee University (Republic of Korea), investigated dietary habits and disease trajectories.

20 Aug 2025

Review finds coffee linked to longer life and lower disease risk

A new review highlights that coffee consumption is consistently linked to reduced risks of death, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some cancers, while also supporting mental and physical well-being. It also cautions on intake during pregnancy and when sugar or cream are added.

19 Aug 2025

Early puberty and childbirth tied to accelerated aging and higher disease risk

Reproductive timing matters when it comes to aging and age-related disease. In a study now online at eLife¸ Buck researchers determine that girls who go through puberty (the onset of menstruation) before the age of 11 or women who give birth before the age of 21 have double the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart failure and obesity and quadruple the risk of developing severe metabolic disorders.

18 Aug 2025

FastUKB transforms UK Biobank research with seamless data extraction and analysis

FastUKB is an innovative tool specifically developed to streamline and enhance research workflows utilizing the UK Biobank, effectively addressing key limitations of existing platforms such as the UK Biobank Research Analysis Platform (RAP).

18 Aug 2025

Alzheimer’s gene risks differ by ancestry, major study reveals 133 new variants

Researchers used whole-genome sequencing from diverse populations to identify 156 variants, including 133 novel ones, linked to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The study highlights ancestry-specific genetic risk and protective factors, challenging one-size-fits-all approaches to dementia genetics.

17 Aug 2025

Engineered telomerase RNA offers temporary boost to telomere length in human stem cells

Much the way the caps on the ends of a shoelace prevent it from fraying, telomeres - regions of repetitive DNA sequences and a protein structure - protect the tips of chromosomes from damage.

14 Aug 2025

Study investigates aging-related mechanisms in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis using AI approaches

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and progressive lung disease characterized by the excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components, leading to a gradual decline in lung function and, ultimately, respiratory failure.

13 Aug 2025

Genetic markers could help prevent age-related frailty

Novel genetic insights into frailty highlight potential early predictors, aiding in the prevention of age-related decline and improving health outcomes.

7 Aug 2025

Sweetened tea doesn’t offer the same health benefits

Unsweetened tea is associated with reduced mortality risk, while sugar-sweetened varieties show no significant health benefits, according to recent studies.

7 Aug 2025

Faster and further walking lowers heart disease and stroke risks

Analysis of over 36,000 people with high blood pressure has shown that taking more steps, even below the recommended daily target of 10,000 steps, and walking faster, is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of major problems of the heart and blood vessels.

6 Aug 2025

Advancing healthcare with machine learning and big data at Cedars-Sinai

Two new studies from the Department of Computational Biomedicine at Cedars-Sinai are advancing what we know about using machine learning and big data to improve healthcare and medical research.

4 Aug 2025

Respiratory infections can reactivate dormant breast cancer cells

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC), and Utrecht University have found the first direct evidence that common respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and influenza, can awaken dormant breast cancer cells that have spread to the lungs, setting the stage for new metastatic tumors.

30 Jul 2025