Australian study links childhood BMI genetics with adult diabetes and heart disease risk
Queensland (ANTARA) - An Australian study has linked the genetics of childhood body mass index (BMI) with the risk of diabetes and heart disease in adulthood. Researchers used data from a long-term study entitled "Children of the 90s", based at the University of Bristol in England, to understand the genetic contribution to BMI patterns in 6,291 children aged between one and 18 years, according to a statement from the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, on Friday (20/2).
By analysing children's growth over time, rather than at a single age, the researchers were able to observe how genetic factors influence the rate of children's growth, said Wang Geng from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
"Parents often worry when children gain weight early or grow differently from other children, but our findings show that genetic variation can influence these changes," said Wang, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications.
Wang said genetic factors appear to influence growth differently at each stage of life, with different sets of genes affecting BMI during infancy and adolescence.
"When using these results to consider health implications, our findings suggest that differences in body size in early childhood do not necessarily reflect a child's lifetime obesity risk," Wang explained.
However, the researchers found that BMI levels around age 10, as well as the overall rate of growth from ages one to 18, were more strongly associated with the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease later in life.
Nicole Warrington, a senior research fellow at UQ, said that genetic factors account for approximately a quarter of the variation in children's weight changes. This underscores the need for age-specific approaches to preventing obesity or monitoring healthy growth.
By analysing children's growth over time, rather than at a single age, the researchers were able to observe how genetic factors influence the rate of children's growth, said Wang Geng from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience.
"Parents often worry when children gain weight early or grow differently from other children, but our findings show that genetic variation can influence these changes," said Wang, lead author of the study published in the journal Nature Communications.
Wang said genetic factors appear to influence growth differently at each stage of life, with different sets of genes affecting BMI during infancy and adolescence.
"When using these results to consider health implications, our findings suggest that differences in body size in early childhood do not necessarily reflect a child's lifetime obesity risk," Wang explained.
However, the researchers found that BMI levels around age 10, as well as the overall rate of growth from ages one to 18, were more strongly associated with the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart disease later in life.
Nicole Warrington, a senior research fellow at UQ, said that genetic factors account for approximately a quarter of the variation in children's weight changes. This underscores the need for age-specific approaches to preventing obesity or monitoring healthy growth.