UK Biobank is a major national health resource, and a registered charity
in its own right, with the aim of improving the prevention, diagnosis
and treatment of a wide range of serious and life-threatening illnesses –
including cancer, heart diseases, stroke, diabetes, arthritis,
osteoporosis, eye disorders, depression and forms of dementia. UK
Biobank recruited 500,000 people aged between 40-69 years in 2006-2010
from across the country to take part in this project. They have
undergone measures, provided blood, urine and saliva samples for future
analysis, detailed information about themselves and agreed to have their
health followed. Over many years this will build into a powerful
resource to help scientists discover why some people develop particular
diseases and others do not.
