Genetic Epidemiology, Translational Neurogenomics, Psychiatric Genetics and Statistical Genetics Laboratories investigate the pattern of disease in families, particularly identical and non-identical twins, to assess the relative importance of genes and environment in a variety of important health problems.
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PMID
40492100
TITLE
Genetic and environmental effects on weight gain from young adulthood to old age and its association with body mass index at early young adulthood: an individual-based pooled analysis of 16 twin cohorts.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION NlmCategory: UNASSIGNED
Genetic factors contribute to weight gain, but how these effects change over adulthood is still unknown. We studied the impact of genetics on BMI change from young adulthood to old age and its relationship with BMI in early young adulthood.
DATA AND METHODS NlmCategory: UNASSIGNED
Genetic factors contribute to weight gain, but how these effects change over adulthood is still unknown. We studied the impact of genetics on BMI change from young adulthood to old age and its relationship with BMI in early young adulthood. Data from 16 longitudinal twin cohorts, including 111,370 adults (56% women) and 55,657 complete twin pairs (42% monozygotic), were pooled. The data were divided into three stages (young adulthood-early middle age, late middle age, and old age). BMI change was calculated using linear mixed effects and delta slope methods. Genetic and environmental contributions to these changes and their correlations with baseline BMI were estimated through structural equation modeling.
RESULTS NlmCategory: UNASSIGNED
Genetic factors contribute to weight gain, but how these effects change over adulthood is still unknown. We studied the impact of genetics on BMI change from young adulthood to old age and its relationship with BMI in early young adulthood. Data from 16 longitudinal twin cohorts, including 111,370 adults (56% women) and 55,657 complete twin pairs (42% monozygotic), were pooled. The data were divided into three stages (young adulthood-early middle age, late middle age, and old age). BMI change was calculated using linear mixed effects and delta slope methods. Genetic and environmental contributions to these changes and their correlations with baseline BMI were estimated through structural equation modeling. The average BMI increase per year was 0.18 kg/m² in men and 0.15 kg/m² in women during young adulthood-early middle age (18-50 years), decreasing to ≤0.07 kg/m² at older ages. Genetic effects contributed to BMI change during young adulthood-early middle age (men a²=0.29; women a²=0.26) and less so in late middle age (51-64 years) (men a²=0.05; women a²= 0.16) and old age (>65 years) (men a²=0.13; women a²= 0.18). Most variation was explained by non-shared environmental effects. In men, greater BMI during early young adulthood (18-30 years) was associated with lower BMI change later in life (r= -0.22 to -0.13), and the association was driven by genetic (r =-0.27) and non-shared environmental (r =-0.22 to -0.14) factors. In contrast, the association was positive in women (r=0.05-0.28) and was explained by genetic factors (r =0.27- 0.51).
CONCLUSION NlmCategory: UNASSIGNED
Genetic factors contribute to weight gain, but how these effects change over adulthood is still unknown. We studied the impact of genetics on BMI change from young adulthood to old age and its relationship with BMI in early young adulthood. Data from 16 longitudinal twin cohorts, including 111,370 adults (56% women) and 55,657 complete twin pairs (42% monozygotic), were pooled. The data were divided into three stages (young adulthood-early middle age, late middle age, and old age). BMI change was calculated using linear mixed effects and delta slope methods. Genetic and environmental contributions to these changes and their correlations with baseline BMI were estimated through structural equation modeling. The average BMI increase per year was 0.18 kg/m² in men and 0.15 kg/m² in women during young adulthood-early middle age (18-50 years), decreasing to ≤0.07 kg/m² at older ages. Genetic effects contributed to BMI change during young adulthood-early middle age (men a²=0.29; women a²=0.26) and less so in late middle age (51-64 years) (men a²=0.05; women a²= 0.16) and old age (>65 years) (men a²=0.13; women a²= 0.18). Most variation was explained by non-shared environmental effects. In men, greater BMI during early young adulthood (18-30 years) was associated with lower BMI change later in life (r= -0.22 to -0.13), and the association was driven by genetic (r =-0.27) and non-shared environmental (r =-0.22 to -0.14) factors. In contrast, the association was positive in women (r=0.05-0.28) and was explained by genetic factors (r =0.27- 0.51). Genetics influence BMI change across adulthood, with their impact varying by age and sex. Environmental factors are the main drivers of adult BMI change, highlighting the role of modifiable factors in long-term weight regulation.
DATE PUBLISHED
2025 May 28
HISTORY
PUBSTATUS PUBSTATUSDATE
medline 2025/06/10 11:30
pubmed 2025/06/10 11:29
entrez 2025/06/10 04:43
pmc-release 2025/06/09
AUTHORS
NAME COLLECTIVENAME LASTNAME FORENAME INITIALS AFFILIATION AFFILIATIONINFO
Obeso A Obeso Alvaro A
Drouard G Drouard Gabin G
Jelenkovic A Jelenkovic Aline A
Ordoñana JR Ordoñana Juan R JR
Sánchez-Romera JF Sánchez-Romera Juan F JF
Colodro-Conde L Colodro-Conde Lucía L
Ollikainen M Ollikainen Miina M
Aaltonen S Aaltonen Sari S
Corley RP Corley Robin P RP
Huibregtse BM Huibregtse Brooke M BM
Medda E Medda Emanuela E
Fagnani C Fagnani Corrado C
Toccaceli V Toccaceli Virgilia V
Gatz M Gatz Margaret M
Butler DA Butler David A DA
Bartels M Bartels Meike M
Ligthart L Ligthart Lannie L
de Geus EJ de Geus Eco Jc EJ
Christensen K Christensen Kaare K
Skytthe A Skytthe Axel A
Kyvik KO Kyvik Kirsten O KO
Medland SE Medland Sarah E SE
Gordon SD Gordon Scott D SD
Rasmussen FE Rasmussen Finn E FE
Tynelius P Tynelius Per P
Franz CE Franz Carol E CE
Kremen WS Kremen William S WS
Lyons MJ Lyons Michael J MJ
Spector T Spector Timothy T
Mangino M Mangino Massimo M
Lachance G Lachance Genevieve G
Magnusson PK Magnusson Patrik Ke PK
Pedersen NL Pedersen Nancy L NL
Dahl Aslan AK Dahl Aslan Anna K AK
Duncan GE Duncan Glen E GE
Buchwald D Buchwald Dedra D
Pyun H Pyun Hyojin H
Lee J Lee Jooyeon J
Lee SJ Lee Soo Ji SJ
Sung J Sung Joohon J
Bruins S Bruins Susanne S
Pool R Pool René R
Eriksson A Eriksson Anders A
Martin NG Martin Nicholas G NG
Boomsma DI Boomsma Dorret I DI
Kaprio J Kaprio Jaakko J
Silventoinen K Silventoinen Karri K
INVESTIGATORS
JOURNAL
VOLUME:
ISSUE:
TITLE: medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences
ISOABBREVIATION: medRxiv
YEAR: 2025
MONTH: May
DAY: 28
MEDLINEDATE:
SEASON:
CITEDMEDIUM: Internet
ISSN:
ISSNTYPE:
MEDLINE JOURNAL
MEDLINETA: medRxiv
COUNTRY: United States
ISSNLINKING:
NLMUNIQUEID: 101767986
PUBLICATION TYPE
PUBLICATIONTYPE TEXT
Journal Article
Preprint
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