02 Jun West-African Genetic Ancestry Associated with Protection Against Obesity in Men
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Yann Klimentidis
Dr. Yann C. Klimentidis PhD
Assistant Professor
Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department
The University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85724
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Dr. Klimentidis: There is a large gender disparity in obesity rates among African-Americans. African-American women have much higher rates of overweight and obesity as compared to African-American men. We hypothesized that genetic factors may partly explain this difference. So we tested whether the influence of West-African genetic ancestry on obesity differed among men and women. We found that greater West-African genetic ancestry was associated with protection against central obesity in men, but no such effect was observed in women.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Dr. Klimentidis: Population differences in disease risk can originate from both genetic and non-genetic factors. Disentangling these influences can be difficult, but doing so is important in order to determine how to effectively address health disparities.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Klimentidis: More research is needed to examine in greater detail the extent to which socio-economic and cultural factors account for this large gender disparity. At the same time, it will be important to identify the specific genes that may play a role in the disparity.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation:
Yann C. Klimentidis et al. The genetic contribution of West-African ancestry to protection against central obesity in African-American men but not women: results from the ARIC and MESA studies. Frontiers in Genetics, May 2016 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2016.00089
Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.
More Medical Research Interviews on MedicalResearch.com.
[wysija_form id=”5″]
Last Updated on June 2, 2016 by Marie Benz MD FAAD