<p class="title">Scientists have identified genes that may cause obesity, paving the way for interventions to prevent chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Researchers identified multiple genetic variants associated with how the body regulates and distributes body-fat tissue. The findings may broaden the understanding of how genes can predispose certain individuals to obesity.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Genome-wide association studies previously identified 49 loci, or positions along a chromosome where the related genetic variants are located, that predispose individuals to a higher waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).</p>.<p class="bodytext">Researchers including those from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US found 24 coding loci -- 15 common and nine rare -- along the chromosomes of individuals that predispose to higher WHR.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Further analysis revealed pathways and gene sets that influenced not only metabolism but also the regulation of body fat tissue, bone growth and adiponectin, a hormone that controls glucose levels and breaks down fat.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The team also performed functional studies across other organisms and identified two genes that were associated with a significant increase in triglyceride levels and body fat across species.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"For the first time, we were able to examine, on a large scale, how low-frequency and rare variants influence body fat distribution," said Kari E North, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Genetics.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"These variants are rarer in the population, but the effects they have on individuals are much larger, possibly making them more clinically relevant," said North.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The research also highlights the importance of lipid metabolism to body fat distribution, which could lead to a better understanding of how obesity causes downstream diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"A better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of body fat distribution may lead to better treatments for obesity and the cascade of downstream diseases obesity also impacts, for example type 2 diabetes and heart disease," North said.</p>
<p class="title">Scientists have identified genes that may cause obesity, paving the way for interventions to prevent chronic illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Researchers identified multiple genetic variants associated with how the body regulates and distributes body-fat tissue. The findings may broaden the understanding of how genes can predispose certain individuals to obesity.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Genome-wide association studies previously identified 49 loci, or positions along a chromosome where the related genetic variants are located, that predispose individuals to a higher waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).</p>.<p class="bodytext">Researchers including those from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the US found 24 coding loci -- 15 common and nine rare -- along the chromosomes of individuals that predispose to higher WHR.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Further analysis revealed pathways and gene sets that influenced not only metabolism but also the regulation of body fat tissue, bone growth and adiponectin, a hormone that controls glucose levels and breaks down fat.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The team also performed functional studies across other organisms and identified two genes that were associated with a significant increase in triglyceride levels and body fat across species.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"For the first time, we were able to examine, on a large scale, how low-frequency and rare variants influence body fat distribution," said Kari E North, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Genetics.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"These variants are rarer in the population, but the effects they have on individuals are much larger, possibly making them more clinically relevant," said North.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The research also highlights the importance of lipid metabolism to body fat distribution, which could lead to a better understanding of how obesity causes downstream diseases such as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"A better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of body fat distribution may lead to better treatments for obesity and the cascade of downstream diseases obesity also impacts, for example type 2 diabetes and heart disease," North said.</p>