New Delhi, Sep 16 || Ever wondered why some people with obesity remain relatively healthy while others develop serious conditions like diabetes and heart disease? Genetic differences may be the reason, according to a study.
An international team of researchers led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark analysed genetic data from 452,768 people and discovered variants in 205 regions of the genome linked to higher body fat but better metabolic health.
Using these discoveries, they developed a genetic risk score that adds up the impact of these variants. Individuals with higher scores were more likely to develop obesity -- but were less likely to suffer from complications such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or heart disease. This is due, in part, to the way fat cells behave in different people.
Importantly, these protective genetic effects were already visible in children. Kids carrying the protective variants were more likely to develop obesity but did not show the expected warning signs of metabolic disease, revealed the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine.