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Genetic Influences on Change in BMI from Middle to Old Age: A 29-Year Follow-up Study of Twin Sisters

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Abstract

Weight gain through middle age is a common phenomenon that increases the risk for different types of metabolic diseases and functional limitations later in life. This study examined genetic and environmental influences on the evolution of body mass index (BMI) in women from middle to old age. BMI was evaluated in 102 monozygotic and 114 dizygotic pairs of twin sisters from the year 1975, when they were 42.6 ± 3.4 years-old, and thereafter in 1981, 1990, 2001 and 2004, in a total 29-year follow-up period. We examined genetic and environmental influences explaining BMI overall level and its rate of change using a latent growth modeling approach. The results showed that mean (±SD) BMI increased from 24.1 ± 3.1 to 28.2 ± 5.1 kg/m2 during the 29-year period. The heritability of BMI showed a consistent increment across occasions, from 54% in 1975, to 72% in 2004. Genetic influences accounted for both overall BMI level (60%) and BMI rate of change (64%). Genetic and environmental correlations between BMI level and rate of change were: rg = 0.40 and re = −0.24, respectively. We conclude that in relatively healthy women, genes affecting level of BMI may differ from those affecting change in BMI with age. These results provide a basis for identifying genetic variants for change in BMI.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Finnish Ministry of Education, the University of Jyväskylä, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Academy of Finland—Centre of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics and the European Union through the GENOMEUTWIN project (EU FP5 QLG2-CT-2002-01254).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, Viveca, 40014, Jyvaskyla, Finland

    Alfredo Ortega-Alonso, Sarianna Sipilä, Urho M. Kujala & Taina Rantanen

  2. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 41, Mannerheimintie 172, 00014, Helsinki, Finland

    Jaakko Kaprio

  3. Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, P.O. Box 41, Mannerheimintie 172, Helsinki, 00014, Finland

    Jaakko Kaprio

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  1. Alfredo Ortega-Alonso
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  2. Sarianna Sipilä
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  3. Urho M. Kujala
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  4. Jaakko Kaprio
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  5. Taina Rantanen
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Correspondence to Alfredo Ortega-Alonso.

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Edited by Danielle Posthuma.

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Ortega-Alonso, A., Sipilä, S., Kujala, U.M. et al. Genetic Influences on Change in BMI from Middle to Old Age: A 29-Year Follow-up Study of Twin Sisters. Behav Genet 39, 154–164 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-008-9245-9

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