Systematic Review of International Population Studies With Cardiac Magnetic Resonance and Genomics Research Data ("Imagenomics").

Abstract

Epidemiological population studies may include cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR)-derived phenotyping and large-scale genotyping, providing unprecedented level of detail to investigate novel gene-lifestyle-disease interactions. The systematic review presents high-level summaries and critically appraises contemporary challenges and biobank opportunities. The authors identified 17 relevant biobanks by searching "CMR," "genome" and "population study" on MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science 2025. Collectively, studies recruited ∼1 million participants with stored blood samples for extensive genomic analyses, of whom >180,000 have or will undergo CMR. Use of expansive personal data must safeguard participant confidentiality, encourage technological standardization, and champion inclusivity and sustainability. Application of genotypic and imaging-derived phenotypic information will be readily translatable to clinical practice through investigation of, among others, new therapeutic targets and highly sensitive and specific biomarkers. Imaging biobanks are accessible to researchers by application. This systematic review should inspire greater use and cross-collaboration and facilitate powerful discoveries in more heterogeneous population samples.