Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

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

Simone Wahl, Alexander Drong, Benjamin Lehne, Marie Loh, William R. Scott, Sonja Kunze, Pei-Chien Tsai, Janina S. Ried, Weihua Zhang, Youwen Yang, Sili Tan, Giovanni Fiorito, Lude Franke, Simonetta Guarrera, Silva Kasela, Jennifer Kriebel, Rebecca C. Richmond, Marco Adamo, Uzma Afzal, Mika Ala‐Korpela, Benedetta Albetti, Ole Ammerpohl, Jane F. Apperley, Marian Beekman, Pier Alberto Bertazzi, S. Lucas Black, Christine Blancher, Marc Jan Bonder, Mario Brosch, Maren Carstensen‐Kirberg, Anton J. M. de Craen, Simon de Lusignan, Abbas Dehghan, Mohamed Elkalaawy, Krista Fischer, Oscar H. Franco, Tom R. Gaunt, Jochen Hampe, Majid Hashemi, Aaron Isaacs, Andrew Jenkinson, Sujeet Jha, Norihiro Kato, Vittorio Krogh, Michael Laffan, Christa Meisinger, Thomas Meitinger, Zuan Yu Mok, Valeria Motta, Hong Kiat Ng, Zacharoula Nikolakopoulou, Georgios Nteliopoulos, Salvatore Panico, Natalia Pervjakova, Holger Prokisch, Wolfgang Rathmann, Michael Roden, Federica Rota, Michelle Ann Rozario, Johanna K. Sandling, Clemens Schafmayer, Katharina Schramm, Reiner Siebert, P. Eline Slagboom, Pasi Soininen, Lisette Stolk, Konstantin Strauch, E Shyong Tai, Letizia Tarantini, Barbara Thorand, Ettje F. Tigchelaar, ­Rosario ­Tumino, André G. Uitterlinden, Cornelia M. van Duijn, Joyce B. J. van Meurs, Paolo Vineis, Ananda R. Wickremasinghe, Cisca Wijmenga, Tsun-Po Yang, Wei Yuan, Alexandra Zhernakova, Rachel L. Batterham, George Davey Smith, Panos Deloukas, Bastiaan T. Heijmans, Christian Herder, Albert Hofman, Cecilia M. Lindgren, Lili Milani, Pim van der Harst, Annette Peters, Thomas Illig, Caroline L. Relton, Mélanie Waldenberger, Marjo‐Riitta Järvelin, Valentina Bollati, Richie Soong, Tim D. Spector, James Scott, Mark I. McCarthy

Nature · 2016

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Summary

This epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) identified methylation patterns associated with BMI and explored their relationship to obesity-related health complications across multiple population cohorts. The large international collaboration analysed DNA methylation data to characterise the epigenetic architecture of adiposity and investigate potential mechanistic links to adverse metabolic outcomes. The findings contribute to understanding how epigenetic modifications relate to body weight regulation and obesity-associated disease risk.

UK applicability

The epigenetic signatures identified may be applicable to UK populations for understanding individual variation in adiposity risk and potentially informing precision approaches to obesity prevention and management. However, population-specific methylation patterns require validation in UK cohorts before clinical or public health implementation.

Key measures

DNA methylation at CpG sites; body mass index; adiposity-related adverse outcomes (as suggested by title)

Outcomes reported

The study examined epigenome-wide DNA methylation patterns associated with body mass index (BMI) and investigated links between these epigenetic markers and adverse health outcomes related to adiposity. The research involved large-scale analysis of methylation data across multiple cohorts to identify consistent epigenetic signatures of obesity.

Theme
Nutrition & health
Subject
Dietary patterns & chronic disease
Study type
Research
Study design
Observational cohort
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
International
System type
Human clinical
DOI
10.1038/nature20784
Catalogue ID
BFmor3gaas-y1cnv7

Topic tags

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