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DISEASE GENETICS

Unraveling the genetic contributions to complex traits across different ethnic groups

Nature Medicine volume 26, pages 467–469 (2020)Cite this article

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Trans-ethnic study shows promise in the identification of genetic commonalities and differences for the contribution of traits to lifespan across genetically diverse populations.

Individual polygenic risk scores (PRSs) (also known as ‘genetic risk scores’) can be calculated for a range of traits and disease, which are based on prior genetic results, mainly GWASs. PRSs may be useful in personal medicine for identifying those at greater risk of a negative health outcome and for facilitating the decision to use targeted interventions to counteract the risk. They may also be useful for improving diagnosis and prognosis. However, in a recent analysis of the ancestry of participants in PRS studies from 2008 to 2017, only 33% included participants of non-European ancestry. Perhaps not unexpectedly, PRSs based on European results have less utility for non-European samples5.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    Karen A. Mather & Anbupalam Thalamuthu

  2. Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Karen A. Mather

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  1. Karen A. Mather
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  2. Anbupalam Thalamuthu
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Correspondence to Karen A. Mather.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Mather, K.A., Thalamuthu, A. Unraveling the genetic contributions to complex traits across different ethnic groups. Nat Med 26, 467–469 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0834-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0834-3

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