Two papers published in the journal Nature on February 11, discuss new research, which found that genes
play a significant role in obesity, and could help explain why some people are
more likely to gain weight and develop obesity-linked conditions than others. After the researchers analyzed genetic
samples from more that 300,000 people, they were able to identify more that 140
locations across their sets of DNA that play a role in obesity. In addition to these findings, they also
located new biological pathways that play important role in obesity. One of the papers focused on genes that
affect where fat is stored in the body, which affects health risk. This is important because if the gene that
influences where fat is deposited, it could help the understanding of the
biology that leads to various health conditions such as diabetes and heart
disease. The other paper examined the
link between genes and body mass index based on height and weight. A second study published in a different
journal called Cell, also identified
a genetic mutation that could be linked to obesity in humans. This study found that patients with this
mutation were at risk for health problems, and were more likely to become obese
at a younger age. With these findings
researchers hope to eventually defeat obesity, and the major health problems
associated with it. They also hope to
someday develop target therapies to treat the mutations that predispose humans
to obesity. More research will be done
to figure out exactly how these genes function and how they make people more
susceptible to obesity.
Original Article: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/02/11/studies-find-more-genetic-links-to-obesity
Additional Article: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/10/25/researchers-discover-new-gene-linked-to-obesity/
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