Open AccessThe effects of fat mass and obesity-associated gene variants on the body mass index among ethnic groups and in children and adults
Author(s) -
Keiko Shinozaki,
Masayuki Okuda
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.456
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 2230-9500
pISSN - 2230-8210
DOI - 10.4103/2230-8210.105576
Subject(s) - obesity , body mass index , ethnic group , medicine , fto gene , gene , fat mass , polymorphism (computer science) , genetics , bioinformatics , endocrinology , genotype , biology , sociology , anthropology
Genome-wide association analyses have revealed common gene variations related to obesity. Variants of the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene among more than 40 genes studied were most closely associated with obesity, but the association varies among ethnicities. Moreover, the effect is significant in people of European descent as well as Asians, but less significant among people of African descent. Although the variants were also associated with type 2 diabetes and glucose homeostasis, the associations were attenuated or abolished after adjusting for adiposity. The present review considers our current understanding of the effects of the FTO variants in different ethnic groups and in adults and children.