An international team of scientists has created a new genetic test that can predict the risk of developing obesity in adulthood while still in childhood. The test could be a breakthrough in preventing excess weight, helping to identify children at increased risk. This is reported by UNN with reference to MedicalXpress.
Details
Drawing on genetic data from over five million people, an international team of researchers has created a genetic test called a polygenic risk score (PGS) that predicts adult obesity as early as infancy.
This discovery, it is noted, can help identify children and adolescents with a higher genetic risk of developing obesity and apply preventive strategies to them at a younger age.
"This score is so powerful that it allows us to predict, even before the age of five, whether a child is likely to develop obesity in adulthood, long before other risk factors begin to shape their weight later in childhood. Intervention at this stage can have a huge impact,"
Addition
This study was the result of a large-scale international collaboration within the Genetic Investigation of Anthropometric Traits (GIANT) Consortium, which studies how genes affect physical characteristics such as height and body mass index. The consumer genetics company 23andMe and over 600 scientists from 500 research institutions worldwide also participated in the work.
The new genetic test, known as the polygenic risk score (PGS), proved to be twice as effective in predicting obesity risk as all previous analogues. It is based on the analysis of minor variations in DNA that can affect metabolism, appetite, and weight gain. The test works like a complex calculator: it combines the influence of thousands of small genetic factors and produces an overall risk score.
Scientists created PGS using data from over five million people – this is the largest and most diverse genetic database ever used for such purposes. Testing on over half a million participants confirmed that this test is a significant step forward in the accuracy of genetic prediction.
However, even an accurate test does not mean a fatal verdict. The study showed that lifestyle – diet, physical activity – has a significant impact even for people with an increased genetic risk. They respond better to changes, but also have a higher risk of returning to overweight after stopping interventions.
Among the limitations of the test is that it works significantly more accurately for people of European descent than for representatives of other ethnic groups. This indicates the need for further work on its adaptation for global use.