Our Future Health: new health study calls for 5m UK adults to take part - what it involves and how to join

Researchers are calling on five million UK adults to join what they aim to be one of the biggest studies in the world and which will create the most detailed picture ever of the nation’s health.

But what is the study and how can people get involved? Here’s what you need to know.

What is the Our Future Health study?

The aim of the Our Future Health study is to find better ways to prevent, spot and treat illnesses like cancer and dementia early on. It will involve collecting health and genetic data and creating a long-term log of health information.

Our Future Health is part-funded by government, industry and charities, and hopes to get their first set of results in the next few years. So far the team has nearly £80 million in government funding and around £150 million from industry to set up and deliver the programme.

Who will be invited to take part in the study?

Invitations will go out this autumn to more than three million people in London, West Yorkshire, West Midlands and Greater Manchester, but it will be open to all UK adults over time. Volunteers outside the initial regions can sign up to the programme in advance and book appointments when testing facilities are established in their area.

Volunteers will fill in questionnaires about their lifestyles and any health problems, have blood tests for measurements such as blood sugar and cholesterol, have their height, weight and blood pressure measured, take genetic tests, and consent to share their NHS records.

The information will be used in a variety of ways. Scientists will collate and combine the information gathered, but store it so that people cannot be identified, building up a bank of health and genetic data.

Academic, clinical and commercial researchers ranging from universities, charities, companies and the NHS will apply to use it to help discover new ways to diagnose and treat people.

Volunteers will also be given the option of getting some of their results, including scores based on genetic tests, of how at risk they are of common diseases. These so-called genetic risk scores will be a core focus of the study and may help lead to earlier detection of conditions like cancer. Volunteers may then be asked if they want to take part in future studies, including trials designed for those identified as being at high risk of certain conditions.

Researchers said that over time the project should save the NHS money by spotting illnesses early on. They also hope that involving five million people will help spot both common and rarer conditions, and ensure people in the study are from different ethnic and economic backgrounds.