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Central obesity genetically linked to type 2 diabetes risk
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Genetic predisposition to central obesity revealed an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, independent of overall BMI, diet or lifestyle risk factors, according to recent study findings.
Lu Qi, MD, PhD, of Harvard Medical School, and colleagues evaluated 2,591 adults with type 2 diabetes and 3,052 without the disease from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS; women) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS; men) to determine the association between genetic predisposition to central obesity, evaluated by waist-to-hip ratio genetic score and risk for type 2 diabetes.
Only participants with a diabetes diagnosis after baseline were included as cases. The control group was defined as participants who were diabetes-free at baseline and remained unaffected through follow-up until 2006.
BMI was calculated for all participants, and information about diet, lifestyle factors, menopausal status, postmenopausal hormone therapy and medications were evaluated from baseline questionnaires. Genotyping was conducted using the Affymetric Genome-Wide Human Array 6.0, and genetic predisposition to central obesity was estimated using a genetic score based on well-established single nucleotide polymorphisms in 14 loci for waist-to-hip ratio.
A linear association was found between central obesity genetic score and increased risk for type 2 diabetes (P for linearity = .006 in the combined sample); these results were comparable between the NHS and HPFS participants. The combined results also revealed an association between each point of central obesity genetic scores and an OR of 1.04 (95% CI, 1.01-1.07) for developing type 2 diabetes.
Following multivariable adjustment for age, family history of diabetes, smoking, menopausal hormone therapy use, physical activity, alcohol intake and Healthy Eating Index, the OR was 1.24 (95% CI, 1.03-1.45) for comparisons of extreme quartiles of the genetic score.
“In conclusion, the findings indicate that the genetic predisposition to central adiposity, as estimated by the [waist-to-hip ratio] genetic score, is associated with a higher risk of [type 2 diabetes] among women and men from two prospective cohorts,” the researchers wrote. “The association is mediated by central obesity. The findings support a potential causal relationship between central obesity and [type 2 diabetes].” – by Jennifer Byrne
Disclosure: Qi reports being a recipient of the American Heart Association Scientist Development Award. Merck laboratories provided funding for genotyping.
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