A recent study by scientists at deCODE genetics, published in Nature Communications, offers new insights into how body mass index (BMI) can influence the risk of various diseases often associated with obesity.
By analyzing genetic data from Icelandic participants and the UK Biobank, researchers aimed to understand whether the genetic risk for these diseases is fully or partially explained by BMI.
The study examined the impact of BMI on several health conditions. For diseases like fatty liver disease, glucose intolerance, and the need for knee replacements, researchers found that the genetic association with these conditions vanished once BMI was accounted for.
This suggests that BMI itself plays a direct role in increasing the risk for these specific diseases.
For other conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and stroke, the genetic risk was still present but significantly lower once BMI was taken into consideration.
This indicates that while BMI is a major factor, it does not completely explain the increased risk for these diseases, suggesting that other elements may also play a role.
The study also found that the influence of BMI on disease risk was generally similar for men and women.
However, there were some differences, particularly regarding heart attack risk, which appeared to be influenced by sex. This points to the possibility that biological sex may affect how BMI contributes to the risk of certain diseases.
Researchers noted that while BMI is an important factor, changes in BMI over time, rather than a single BMI measurement, might also influence disease risk.
Additionally, other elements closely related to BMI, such as lifestyle factors or metabolic changes, may help explain some of the remaining risks.
This research underscores the critical role of BMI in the development of diseases commonly linked with obesity. It suggests that reducing BMI could help lower the risk of several obesity-related conditions.
These findings may offer a path toward more targeted preventive measures for individuals at higher risk due to genetic and BMI-related factors, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes.
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The research findings can be found in Nature Communications.
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