Medical research articles from across Nature Portfolio

A study drawing on the expansive UK Biobank dataset to explore the lifestyle, genetic and biological underpinnings of mental health highlights the influence of lifestyle on depression risk and suggests that detailed investigations into lifestyle factors, in conjunction with psychological aspects and advanced analysis methods, may reveal a deeper understanding of the complexities of mental health.

Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) are increasingly able to predict complex traits; however, they perform suboptimally in populations not of European ancestry. We present CT-SLEB, a powerful method that enables the calculation of PRSs from multi-ancestry samples and provides insights into the opportunities and challenges of enhancing polygenic risk prediction across populations of diverse ancestry.

Mounting evidence, including the recent (and unprecedented) phase 2 data on retatrutide, supports a role for incretin hormone agonists in treating obesity. But with great power comes great responsibility.

Efforts to prevent infections and keep vulnerable people out of hospital are beginning to pay off, but deploying these strategies presents new challenges.