Polygenic indexes
Our Aim
We aim to generate and make polygenic indexes (PGI) available for all CLS cohorts using a standardised pipeline which is transparent, efficient, and updatable. Our approach to sharing these data seeks to balance the need to make data available to enable research with the ethical need to avoid potential risks.
PGI will be derived for multiple health and social traits (below), and made available on the UKDS via special license agreement.
We are aiming for a full release of the PGI in 2025, though this is dependent on internal capacity. We will email genetics data applicants when the data are available. For further updates please email clsdata@ucl.ac.uk.
In the interim, we have a selection of PGI that can be obtained via application to the CLS DAC (see Introduction). These PGI are available for the NCDS, BCS, Next Steps, and MCS (parents and children).
Current PGI available via the DAC (last updated 31/03/2025)
| Domain | Trait | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Social outcomes | Education | Okbay et al. 2022 |
| Brain structure and cognition | Cognition | Savage et al. 2018 |
| Mental health | Externalising problems | Karlsson Linnér et al. 2021 |
| Anthropometrics | Body Mass Index | Yengo et al. 2018 |
Forthcoming additional PGI for full release
Anthropometrics
| Trait | Reference |
|---|---|
| Birth weight | Warrington et al. 2019 |
| Body fat distribution | Pulit et al. 2018 |
| Body Mass Index (childhood) | Vogelezang et al. 2020 |
| Body Mass Index (adulthood) | Yengo et al. 2018 |
| Grip strength | Jones et al. 2021 |
| Height | Yengo et al. 2018 |
| Waist circumference | Christakoudi et al. 2021 |
Brain structure and cognition
| Trait | Reference |
|---|---|
| Alzheimer’s disease | Bellenguez et al. 2022 |
| Hippocampal volume | Liu et al. 2023 |
| Parkinson’s disease | Nalls et al. 2019 |
Health behaviours
| Trait | Reference |
|---|---|
| Substance abuse | Hatoum et al. 2023 |
| Age at initiation of smoking | Liu et al. 2019 |
| Alcoholic drinks per week | Liu et al. 2019 |
| Cigarettes per day | Liu et al. 2019 |
| Diet | Cole et al. 2020 |
Mental health
| Trait | Reference |
|---|---|
| Anxiety | Forstner et al. 2021 |
| ADHD | Demontis et al. 2023 |
| Autism spectrum disorder | Grove et al. 2019 |
| Bipolar disorder | Mullins et al. 2021 |
| Depressive symptoms | Baselmans et al. 2019 |
| Major depressive disorder | Howard et al. 2019 |
| Schizophrenia | Trubetskoy et al. 2022 |
Personality
| Trait | Reference |
|---|---|
| Agreeableness | Gupta et al. 2024 |
| Conscientiousness | Gupta et al. 2024 |
| Extraversion | Gupta et al. 2024 |
| Openness to experience | Gupta et al. 2024 |
| Neuroticism | Gupta et al. 2024 |
Physical health
| Trait | Reference |
|---|---|
| Age at menopause | Ruth et al. 2021 |
| Asthma | Han et al. 2020 |
| Blood pressure | Keaton et al. 2024 |
| Coronary artery disease | Aragam et al. 2022 |
| C-reactive protein | Koskeridis et al. 2022 |
| Fasting glucose | Downie et al. 2022 |
| HbA1c | Sinnott-Armstrong et al. 2021 |
| Hypertension | Bi et al. 2020 |
| Rheumatoid arthritis | Ishigaki et al. 2022 |
| Type 1 Diabetes | Chiou et al. 2021 |
| Type 2 Diabetes | Suzuki et al. 2024 |
Social outcomes
| Trait | Reference |
|---|---|
| Household Income | Hill et al. 2019 |
| Human Longevity | Pilling et al. 2017 |
| Parental Lifespan | Timmers et al. 2019 |