Genetic studies of body mass index yield new insights for obesity biology.
| Year of Publication |
2015
|
|---|---|
| Author | |
| Journal |
Nature
|
| Volume |
518
|
| Issue |
7538
|
| Number of Pages |
197-206
|
| ISSN Number |
1476-4687
|
| Abstract |
Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P < 5 × 10(-8)), 56 of which are novel. Five loci demonstrate clear evidence of several independent association signals, and many loci have significant effects on other metabolic phenotypes. The 97 loci account for ∼2.7% of BMI variation, and genome-wide estimates suggest that common variation accounts for >20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis. |
| Date Published |
2015 Feb 12
|
| DOI |
10.1038/nature14177
|
| Alternate Journal |
Nature
|
| PMID |
25673413
|
| PMCID |
PMC4382211
|
| Download citation |