http://jamanetwork.com/The cross-sectional baseline data from a population-based cohort study in UK identified associations between body mass index (BMI) and risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The study included 119 859 participants with complete phenotypic (medical and sociodemographic) and genetic data between 2006 and 2010, 47.4% were men; mean age was 56.87 years. A polygenic risk score comprising 93 single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with BMI from previous genome-wide association studies was constructed, and applied to derive causal estimates using a mendelian randomization approach. Mendelian randomization analysis showed significant positive associations between genetically instrumented higher BMI and risk of hypertension (odds ratio [OR] per 1-SD higher BMI, 1.64), coronary heart disease (OR, 1.35) and type 2 diabetes (OR, 2.53), as well as systolic blood pressure (β = 1.65 mm Hg) and diastolic blood pressure (β = 1.37 mm Hg). These associations were independent of age, sex, Townsend deprivation scores, alcohol intake, and smoking history. BMI represents an important modifiable factor for ameliorating the risk of cardiometabolic disease in the general population. Source: http://jamanetwork.com/
