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Nature Genetics 41, 5–6 (1 January 2009) | doi:10.1038/ng0109-5

Cohort studies and the genetics of complex disease

Teri A Manolio

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have provided a powerful tool for identifying genetic variants related to health and disease, particularly for conditions influenced by many genes and environmental factors at once. Although the technique was initially used for finding genetic differences in a case-control design for particular diseases, its use quickly spread to traits measured on a continuum, such as body mass index (BMI), height and serum lipid levels.