Double Vision: Study of U.K. Twins Provides New Insight Into Human Wellbeing.

Back in 1992, when Prof. Tim Spector of King's College London set up a study to investigate the incidence of osteoporosis and other rheumatologic diseases in monozygotic (identical) twins, little did he know how much the project would expand its horizons. From a few hundred identical twins, the cohort has grown to more than 15,000 identical and nonidentical twins across the U.K., aged between 18 and 100, and a host of diseases and conditions are under the microscope (Figure 1). Now, TwinsUK has one of the most deeply characterized adult twin cohorts anywhere in the world, providing vast quantities of data for longitudinal studies of health and aging.