Study published in Nature Communications: Nightingale Health outperforms genetic testing in chronic disease risk detection and makes the promise of preventative health a reality

Nightingale Health Plc

Press release

4 December 2024 at 10:00 a.m. (EET)

Nightingale Health Plc's ("Nightingale Health") peer-reviewed study has been published in Nature Communications, showcasing the accuracy and performance of Nightingale Health's blood biomarker-based risk prediction models. The world's largest population study in the field includes data from more than 700,000 participants in three national biobanks from Finland, Estonia and the United Kingdom.

The population study findings show that Nightingale Health's risk prediction models have better risk detection capabilities for chronic diseases than polygenic risk scores and they add value beyond existing clinical risk assessment tools.

Polygenic risk scores have received substantial recent attention as a key enabler of preventative health. However, the new study shows that risk models based on Nightingale Health's blood biomarkers provide more accurate and actionable information for disease risk detection and prevention than polygenic risk scores.

The study also confirms that Nightingale Health's risk prediction models can be used for continuous health monitoring and measuring the effects of preventative actions over time. A subset of individuals in the study had donated two blood samples five years apart, and Nightingale Health's risk prediction models successfully captured changes in disease risks after the individuals had made lifestyle changes. By contrast, since polygenic risk scores remain the same throughout life, they cannot show progress in response to better lifestyle choices.

Nightingale Health's clinical solution builds on the risk prediction models described in the new publication and is enhanced by additional features that make it particularly well-suited for clinical use. It requires only a single standard blood sample and measures nearly 40 clinically validated biomarkers, including familiar ones like cholesterol, glucose, and creatinine. Clinicians are also accustomed to the format of the results from Nightingale Health's clinical solution, as it provides locally calibrated absolute risk for disease incidence, similar to the risk detection tools they already use.

This solution also streamlines clinical workflows, as it requires just a blood sample, along with age and sex, which makes it simpler compared to existing risk detection tools. Unlike polygenic risk scores, which require extensive training and changes to guidelines, Nightingale Health's solution integrates smoothly into existing clinical processes with minimal adjustments, making it a scalable and practical tool for preventive healthcare today. Indeed, Nightingale Health's test has already been adopted nationwide in Finland, with over 1,000 healthcare professionals using it daily in primary care.

This study published in one of the most prestigious science journals in the world demonstrates the superior performance of Nightingale Health's disease risk detection capability. This scientific evidence combined with the simple process and competitive pricing makes the Nightingale Health Check the leading tool for preventative healthcare strategies worldwide.

For further information, please contact:

Teemu Suna, CEO
ir@nightingalehealth.com

About Nightingale Health

Nightingale Health's mission is to build sustainable healthcare and reduce health inequalities. Nightingale Health has developed the world's most advanced health check that provides risk detection for multiple chronic diseases from a single blood sample. Nightingale's Health Check can be scaled to entire populations at a low cost, and it can replace many of the current clinical risk assessments. Detecting disease risks on a population level allows for the effective targeting and tracking of health interventions, and better prevention of the onset of chronic diseases. With every sample we help to create a healthier world.

Nightingale Health operates globally with a parent company in Finland and eight subsidiaries in countries such as Japan, the United States, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. Nightingale Health has customers in more than 34 countries in the healthcare and medical research sectors. The company's technology is being used in many of the world's leading health initiatives, such as the UK Biobank, and over 600 peer-reviewed publications validate the technology. The company's Series B shares are listed on the First North Growth Market Finland marketplace. Read more: https://nightingalehealth.com/