Hundreds of connections between different human diseases have been uncovered through their shared origin in our genome by an international research team led by Unit scientists, challenging the categorisation of diseases by organ, symptoms, or clinical speciality. A new study published in Science today generated data on thousands of proteins circulating in our blood and […]

Public Health England (PHE) have published the report Integration of physical activity promotion within primary and secondary care settings: Rapid evidence review and lessons from practice case studies.  The report, which was led by researchers at the MRC Epidemiology Unit, examined the factors that influence successful integration of physical activity into UK healthcare settings for […]

Young adults aged 18 to 24 are at the highest risk of becoming overweight or developing obesity in the next decade of their life compared to adults in any other age group, and obesity prevention policies should target this group, finds a new study co-led by researchers at the MRC Epidemiology Unit and University College […]

New research published today in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health has found that education and employment experiences in early adulthood contribute to cardiovascular health inequalities in later life, independent of occupation and family income in mid-adulthood. There are important differences in health between different sectors of our society, with those who are less […]

The age at which women go through menopause is critical for fertility and impacts healthy ageing in women, but reproductive ageing has been difficult for scientists to study and insights into the underlying biology are limited. Now, scientists have identified nearly 300 gene variations that influence reproductive lifespan in women. Additionally, in mice, they have […]

Researchers at the MRC Epidemiology Unit are among scientists from across the world contributing to The Lancet 2021 series on physical activity. Key findings revealed in the series include: Worldwide progress to improve physical activity has stalled; overall deaths associated with inactivity remain at more than 5 million people per year. No progress has been […]

Researchers from CEDAR at the MRC Epidemiology Unit have, for the third year in a row, contributed to the Food Foundation’s annual Broken Plate report. Each year the report tracks progress against 10 metrics that illustrate the health of our food system. This year’s report demonstrates that the food environment is skewed towards less healthy […]

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have identified rare genetic variants – carried by one in 3,000 people – that have a larger impact on the risk of developing type 2 diabetes than any previously identified genetic effect. Type 2 diabetes is thought to be driven in part by inherited genetic factors, but many of […]