RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A common allele in FGF21 associated with preference for sugar consumption lowers body fat in the lower body and increases blood pressure
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 214700
DO 10.1101/214700
A1 Timothy M. Frayling
A1 Robin N. Beaumont
A1 Samuel E. Jones
A1 Hanieh Yaghootkar
A1 Marcus A. Tuke
A1 Katherine S. Ruth
A1 Francesco Casanova
A1 Ben West
A1 Jonathan Locke
A1 Seth Sharp
A1 Yingjie Ji
A1 William Thompson
A1 Jamie Harrison
A1 Cecilia M. Lindgren
A1 Niels Grarup
A1 Anna Murray
A1 Rachel M. Freathy
A1 Michael N. Weedon
A1 Jessica Tyrrell
A1 Andrew R. Wood
YR 2017
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/11/06/214700.abstract
AB Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 (FGF21) is a hormone that induces weight loss in model organisms. These findings have led to trials in humans of FGF21 analogues with some showing weight loss and lipid lowering effects. Recent genetic studies have shown that a common allele in the FGF21 gene alters the balance of macronutrients consumed but there was little evidence of an effect on metabolic traits. We studied a common FGF21 allele (A:rs838133) in 451,099 people from the UK Biobank study. We replicated the association between the A allele and higher percentage carbohydrate intake. We then showed that this allele is more strongly associated with body fat distribution, with less fat in the lower body, and higher blood pressure, than it is with BMI, where there is only nominal evidence of an effect. These human phenotypes of naturally occurring variation in the FGF21 gene will inform decisions about FGF21’s therapeutic potential.