RTI uses cookies to offer you the best experience online. By clicking “accept” on this website, you opt in and you agree to the use of cookies. If you would like to know more about how RTI uses cookies and how to manage them please view our Privacy Policy here. You can “opt out” or change your mind by visiting: http://optout.aboutads.info/. Click “accept” to agree.
Determining the stability of genome-wide factors in BMI between ages 40 to 69 years
Gillespie, N. A., Gentry, A. E., Kirkpatrick, R. M., Reynolds, C. A., Mathur, R., Kendler, K. S., Maes, H. H., Webb, B. T., & Peterson, R. E. (2022). Determining the stability of genome-wide factors in BMI between ages 40 to 69 years. PLoS Genetics, 18(8), Article e1010303. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1010303
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have successfully identified common variants associated with BMI. However, the stability of aggregate genetic variation influencing BMI from midlife and beyond is unknown. By analysing 165,717 men and 193,073 women from the UKBiobank, we performed BMI GWAS on six independent five-year age intervals between 40 and 72 years. We then applied genomic structural equation modeling to test competing hypotheses regarding the stability of genetic effects for BMI. LDSR genetic correlations between BMI assessed between ages 40 to 73 were all very high and ranged 0.89 to 1.00. Genomic structural equation modeling revealed that molecular genetic variance in BMI at each age interval could not be explained by the accumulation of any age-specific genetic influences or autoregressive processes. Instead, a common set of stable genetic influences appears to underpin genome-wide variation in BMI from middle to early old age in men and women alike.
