Genomic analyses identify hundreds of variants associated with age at menarche and support a role for puberty timing in cancer risk

Summary

This large-scale genome-wide association meta-analysis identified hundreds of genetic variants associated with age at menarche across multiple population cohorts. The findings support a biological link between puberty timing and cancer risk, as suggested by the variant discovery and downstream phenotypic associations. The work contributes to understanding how developmental timing influences long-term disease susceptibility.

Regional applicability

As a genomic study with predominantly European-ancestry populations (inferred from cohort names including LifeLines, kConFab/AOCS, and UK Biobank-linked collaborations), the findings are broadly applicable to United Kingdom research and clinical genetics practice, though generalisability to non-European ancestry groups remains limited.

Key measures

Genome-wide association study (GWAS) variants; age at menarche; cancer risk associations

Outcomes reported

The study identified hundreds of genetic variants associated with age at menarche through genome-wide association analysis. The research explored potential links between puberty timing and cancer susceptibility.

Topic tags