Study: Genetic data can help predict IBD risk By (0) Genetic data can help identify people at risk for inflammatory bowel diseases, a new study has found. Photo by Derneuemann/Pixabay Dec. 24 (UPI) -- Genetic data from people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds can be used to predict a person's risk for inflammatory bowel disease, according to an analysis published Thursday in the journal Gastroenterology. Using data from the Mount Sinai Hospital System's multi-ethnic BioMe Biobank, a storehouse of individual patient molecular and genetic profiles, the researchers developed what they call "polygenic risk scores." Advertisement With these scores, they were able to accurately predict which patients would develop an IBD, the researchers said.