Genomic risk scores identify 30 percent of adults as high-risk for nine common conditions

A team at Penn Medicine looked at data from nearly 48,000 adults to see how well genomic risk scores predict health problems. They used a tool called GIRA that looks at both single gene changes and many small genetic variations together. This approach helps spot people who might get sick before symptoms appear. The study found that 30.4 percent of the participants were labeled as high-risk for at least one of nine conditions. That means more than three out of every ten adults in this group carried a genetic signal for future illness. The researchers also checked if these scores worked equally well for everyone. They found that people of African or African American ancestry had higher rates of being labeled high-risk compared to East Asian or South Asian groups. This difference suggests the tool might need adjustments to work fairly for all communities. The scores also predicted who already had the disease and who would develop it later. However, the prediction was not perfect for every single condition. Some groups had lower accuracy rates. The study did not report any safety issues because it used existing health records rather than giving new drugs or treatments. If health systems use these scores widely, they could help doctors focus care on those most likely to need it. But the team warns that the tool must be tested carefully across different populations to ensure it does not miss or overestimate risk for specific groups.