Researchers have discovered more than 275 million previously unreported genetic variants, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) said. The new genetic variants were identified from data shared by nearly 250,000 participants of the NIH's 'All of Us Research Program'. Half of the genomic data are from participants of non-European genetic ancestry, Xinhua news agency reported.

The unexplored cache of variants provides researchers new pathways to better understand the genetic influences on health and disease, especially in communities that have been left out of research in the past, said the NIH on Tuesday. Nearly four million of the newly identified variants are in areas that may be tied to disease risk.