Mediterranean Dietary Pattern Adherence Modify the Association between FTO Genetic Variations and Obesity Phenotypes

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Genetics
• Public Health

Background:

• Obesity is a complex condition influenced by both genetic and lifestyle factors.
• The fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene is a significant genetic determinant of obesity.
• Dietary patterns are increasingly recognized for their potential to modify genetic predispositions to obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the interaction between the Mediterranean dietary pattern (Med Diet) and FTO gene polymorphisms in relation to obesity.
• To determine if adherence to the Med Diet can mitigate the risk of obesity associated with FTO variants.

Main Methods:

• A nested case-control study involving 1254 participants from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study.
• Genotyping of key FTO polymorphisms (rs1421085, rs1121980, rs17817449, rs8050136, rs9939973, rs3751812).
• Calculation of a Genetic Risk Score (GRS) and a Mediterranean Dietary Score (MDS).

Main Results:

• Individuals carrying minor alleles of specific FTO variants had a lower obesity risk with higher MDS.
• Obesity risk decreased across increasing MDS quartiles in participants with a high GRS (OR: 0.67) compared to those with a low GRS (OR: 1.12).
• A significant interaction (P < 0.05) was observed between GRS and MDS regarding overall obesity risk, but not abdominal obesity.

Conclusions:

• Higher adherence to the Med Diet is associated with a reduced risk of obesity, particularly in individuals with a greater genetic predisposition.
• The Med Diet may play a protective role against obesity by interacting with FTO gene variants.
• Dietary interventions, like the Med Diet, could be a strategy to manage obesity in genetically susceptible individuals.