Epigenome-wide association study of body mass index, and the adverse outcomes of adiposity.

ABSTRACT: Approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide are overweight or affected by obesity, and are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and related metabolic and inflammatory disturbances. Although the mechanisms linking adiposity to associated clinical conditions are poorly understood, recent studies suggest that adiposity may influence DNA methylation, a key regulator of gene expression and molecular phenotype. Here we use epigenome-wide association to show that body mass index (BMI; a key measure of adiposity) is associated with widespread changes in DNA methylation (187 genetic loci with P < 1 × 10^-7, range P = 9.2 × 10^-8 to 6.0 × 10^-46; n = 10,261 samples). Genetic association analyses demonstrate that the alterations in DNA methylation

SUBMITTER: Wahl S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5570525 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature