Mixed
Genetic variants near KCNQ1, ALDH2/MYL2, ITIH4, and NT5C2 are significantly associated with Body Mass Index (BMI) in East Asian populations, explaining approximately 0.16% of BMI variation collectively.
This research highlights that specific genetic variants are linked to higher BMI in East Asian populations. However, these genetic factors explain a very small fraction (0.16%) of body weight differences. This means that while your genetics may contribute slightly to your weight, they are not the primary determinant. Lifestyle factors like diet and physical activity have a much larger impact on your BMI than these specific genes.
We identified four novel BMI-associated loci near the KCNQ1 (rs2237892, P = 9.29 × 10−13), ALDH2/MYL2 (rs671, P = 3.40 × 10−11; rs12229654, P = 4.56 × 10−9), ITIH4 (rs2535633, P = 1.77 × 10−10) and NT5C2 (rs11191580, P = 3.83 × 10−8) genes... The variation explained for all four of these newly identified BMI loci combined was 0.16% based on Stage II data.
Why this rating
Large-scale meta-analysis of GWAS with over 86,000 participants in Stage I and replication in up to 47,000 additional individuals, meeting genome-wide significance thresholds.
Source
Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in East Asian-ancestry populations identifies four new loci for body mass index
Wanqing Wen et al. · Human Molecular Genetics · 2014
DOI 10.1093/hmg/ddu248
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- The association between BMI and specific genetic loci (KCNQ1, ALDH2, MYL2) is significantly stronger in men than in women within East Asian populations.Strong
- The ALDH2 genetic variant (rs671) associated with BMI has an antagonistic effect with alcohol consumption, showing a BMI-increasing effect primarily among non-drinkers.Good
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