The article presents new results from analysing UK Biobank data. Specifically, it shows for a range of traits, how much of the heritability can be explained by different SNPs (and how this increases as we lower the minor allele threshold). It also reports updated estimates of heritability enrichments, showing the strong impact that conserved and coding regions have on a wide range of complex traits and diseases.

The article also provides a detailed tutorial on different methods for SNP-based heritability analyses. It explains the many ways these analyses enable us to better understand complex traits. For example, they can be used to estimate the total contribution of SNPs, to find the most important regions of the genome, and to measure the impact of selection pressures. The tutorial describes both methods that use individual-level data and those that use summary statistics.

Commenting on the article, Doug Speed says, "In this paper, we have attempted to explain a decade's worth of progress in the field of SNP-based heritability analysis. The original methods, first proposed in 2010, were adaptations of analyses designed for animal and plant breeding. Although these methods provided important insights into complex traits, they were fundamentally flawed because they were based on inappropriate modelling assumptions. Our new work first describes how new methods and models have been developed in order to address these errors. We then report the most up-to-date results concerning the genetic architectures of complex traits, including how these traits have been shaped by purifying selection".