UK Biobank celebrates 10 years of health research to - forefront
UK Biobank, a large-scale medical research program, is an extraordinary company with the ultimate goal to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of many serious diseases. This includes address key challenges in the areas of disease such as dementia, arthritis, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. This year, the famous 10-year program since its launch in 06. Since its creation more than half a million volunteers, aptly named "biobanks" across the UK have agreed to have their health analyzed using a wide range methods
biobanks, which in recruitment were all between the ages of 40-69, first took part in a series of basic tests, including blood pressure, heart rate, height and evaluation weight. The volunteers also provided valuable lifestyle information and agreed to be followed in their life. This includes the observation of health records to monitor any development of the disease and for many biobanks, taking part in other tests such as MRI.
Shaping medical research worldwide
UK Biobank is a unique medical research program that the data generated are not used by the organization directly, but used to construct data sets for other researchers worldwide. The data resource is available to all bona fide researchers for a variety of research related to health, which is in the public interest, without any preferential or exclusive access. As it stands, the resource has been used worldwide to inform a range of different searches. On his birthday 10 years UK Biobank has had:
- 257 research applications approved and published data
- 107 peer-reviewed papers published using data
- 92 presentations based on data presented at scientific meetings
- in the past year, 49% of applications from outside the UK
in using imaging technology to collect data
part of data acquisition includes an imaging project, which began in 2014 and a total of seven years to complete it making it the largest study of medical imaging in the world. The project currently scans 18 people a day, seven days a week just pause for essential holiday and system maintenance. An imaging center based in Stockport undertaking work with the ultimate goal to have a complete set of images for 100,000 participants, will be assisted by another two centers opening in Reading and Newcastle in 2017.
the imaging project using the most advanced technology to provide unprecedented precision in the images, which includes the use of two MRI systems Siemens Healthineers that are used for neurology, cardiac and scanning the abdomen. Various other imaging techniques are used to capture other body parts.
The imaging data are integrated with detailed non-imaging data, allowing researchers to make associations with areas of common diseases and not common, for example assessing whether brain volume is tied to specific brain diseases such as dementia. These images are taken before the disease, so that in the time that the disease develops researchers can review the images to determine if there are measures to inform early diagnosis.
objectives Achieving long-term research
As biobanks are followed throughout their lives, regular monitoring is essential to support the long-term project. A range of monitoring methods are used that are complete, scalable and cost effective. All biobanks are registered with a GP who provides related health issues related to using national data sets. In the long term, it forms a powerful resource to help scientists discover why some people develop particular diseases and others do not. This means for a long time to come, research will continue to be valuable, with the results leading to potential ground breaking discoveries. As data continues to grow, inform and strengthen research, we can be sure that the best of UK Biobank is yet to come.
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