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Assessing the genetic overlap between BMI and cognitive function.

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Obesity and cognitive function share genetic roots, suggesting a biological link between body mass index (BMI) and brain function. This finding could inform future health strategies targeting both conditions.

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Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Neuroscience
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Obesity and cognitive function are linked to adverse health outcomes.
  • A small negative phenotypic correlation exists between high body mass index (BMI) and cognitive function.
  • The shared genetic etiology between obesity and cognitive function remains largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the phenotypic and genetic correlations between BMI and cognitive function.
  • To explore the shared genetic architecture underlying these two traits.
  • To identify common genetic variants influencing both BMI and cognitive function.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Generation Scotland cohort (n=6815) for genetic analyses.
  • Employed same-sample and independent-samples bivariate Genome-Wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA)-GREML.
  • Applied bivariate LD Score Regression (LDSC) using large-scale Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) summary data for BMI and cognitive function.
  • Constructed polygenic scores for cross-trait prediction.

Main Results:

  • Observed a substantial genetic correlation between BMI and cognitive function, particularly with the same-sample GCTA-GREML approach (-0.51).
  • Independent-samples GCTA-GREML and bivariate LDSC analyses also indicated significant genetic correlations (-0.10 and -0.22, respectively).
  • Polygenic scores demonstrated that genetic variants associated with one trait could predict variance in the other.
  • Identified seven common genetic variants significantly associated with both BMI and cognitive function, exceeding chance expectations.

Conclusions:

  • Evidence suggests a significant shared genetic etiology between BMI and cognitive function.
  • The findings highlight a biological link contributing to the observed phenotypic correlation.
  • This research opens avenues for understanding the interplay between metabolic and cognitive health from a genetic perspective.