Document Type

Article

Publication Title

JAMA Network Open

Abstract

Importance The fat mass and obesity–associated gene (FTO) is associated with obesity phenotypes, but the association is inconsistent across populations. Within-population differences may explain some of the variability observed.

Objective To investigate sex differences in the association between FTO single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and obesity traits among self-identified non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White US adults, to examine whether the SNVs were associated with cardiometabolic diseases, and to evaluate whether obesity mediated the association between FTO SNVs and cardiometabolic diseases.

Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study used data from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a US population-based cohort study with available genetic data (assayed in 2018) and phenotypic data at baseline (enrolled 2003-2007). Participants were aged 45 to 98 years at baseline. Data were analyzed from October 2021 to October 2022.

Exposures Eleven SNVs in the FTO gene present among both Black and White participants.

Main Outcomes and Measures Objectively measured obesity indicators (body mass index and waist-to-height ratio), objectively measured and/or self-reported cardiometabolic diseases (hypertension, stroke history, heart disease, and diabetes), and self-reported social-economic and psychosocial status.

Results A total of 10 447 participants (mean [SD] age, 64.4 [9.7] years; 5276 [55.8%] women; 8743 [83.7%] Black and 1704 [16.3%] White) were included. In the White group, 11 FTO SNVs were significantly associated with obesity, hypertension, and diabetes using linear models (eg, body mass index: β = 0.536; 95% CI, 0.197-0.875), but none of the FTO SNVs were associated with obesity traits in the Black group. White males had a higher risk of obesity while White females had a higher risk of hypertension and diabetes. However, 1 FTO SNV (rs1121980) was associated with a direct increase in the risk of heart disease in Black participants not mediated by obesity (c′ = 0.145 [SE, 0.0517]; P = .01).

Conclusions and Relevance In this cross-sectional study of obesity phenotypes and their association with cardiometabolic diseases, the tested FTO SNVs reflected sex differences in White participants. Different patterns of associations were observed among self-identified Black participants. Therefore, these results could inform future work discovering risk alleles or risk scores unique to Black individuals or further investigating genetic risk in all US residents.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.47171

Publication Date

12-8-2023

PubMed ID

PMID: 38064210; PMCID: PMC10709778

College or School

School of Public Health

Comments

2023/2024 APC Fund Awardee:
Dr. Kathryn Kaiser, Assistant Professor
UAB School of Public Health

Award Amount: $2,000.00

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Supplemental Associated Link

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2812716

Additional Files
APC_2024_04_Yu_supp1.pdf (831 kB)
Supplemental Data
APC_2024_04_Yu_supp2.pdf (239 kB)
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