Puberty Growth Linked to Adult Health Risks – Neuroscience News

Summary: Researchers discovered a genetic link between rapid growth in height during puberty and increased health risks in adulthood, including atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes and colon cancer. lung The study analyzed growth patterns using data from 56,000 individuals, identifying 26 genes that influence growth dynamics during puberty.

These findings reveal how specific genetic factors related to pubertal growth can have long-term impacts on health, underscoring the importance of personalized medical approaches based on genetic profiles. The research provides crucial insights into how early life growth can inform risk management for various adult diseases.

Key factors:

1. Genetic factors identified: The researchers identified 26 genes associated with the scale, timing and intensity of pubertal growth spurts.
2. Health Implications: Being taller at the start of puberty and growing rapidly is linked to a higher risk of several adult health problems, including atrial fibrillation, type 2 diabetes and lung cancer.
3. Large scale analysis: The study used extensive data from individuals from diverse backgrounds to analyze pubertal growth patterns and their effects on long-term health.

Source: University of Surrey

A new study from the University of Surrey and the University of Pennsylvania has identified a genetic link between height growth during puberty and long-term health in adulthood.Biology of the genome.

The researchers found that being taller at the beginning of puberty and growing rapidly in height during this period is linked to a higher risk of atrial fibrillation later in life.

The research team investigated whether genetics played a role in pubertal growth patterns and lifelong health conditions. Growth during this period may be heritable, but the specific genetic factors underlying growth trajectories remain largely unknown.

To address this knowledge gap, the researchers used a growth curve analysis of 56,000 people from various ancestral backgrounds that contained their height measurements from age five to adulthood. These data gave researchers a comprehensive view of growth patterns across different populations and time periods.

Dr Zhanna Balkhiyarova, co-author of the study and senior postdoctoral researcher at the University of Surrey, said: “Our study highlights the importance of large-scale genetic analyzes in elucidating the complexities of human health.

“Using big data, we’re revealing new insights into the genetic factors that affect growth during puberty and their long-term effects. With each discovery, we move closer to medicine that addresses each person’s unique needs individual”.

The researchers identified 26 genes associated with various aspects of pubertal growth, including the scale, timing and intensity of the growth spurt. Further investigating the lifelong impact of genetic variants associated with pubertal growth trajectories, the researchers also analyzed genetic correlation and phenotypes (observable characteristics of an individual) in data from the Penn Medicine Biobank and the UK Biobank.

Using this data, the team found, for the first time, genetic relationships between pediatric height growth and a wide range of health outcomes throughout a person’s lifetime.

Being taller at first puberty and experiencing faster pubertal growth were associated with a higher risk of atrial fibrillation, an irregular and abnormally fast heart rate, later in life.

They also found that people with a faster rate of pubertal height growth have high levels of bone mineral density, higher levels of insulin resistance, and a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes and lung cancer.

Dr Anna Ulrich, formerly of the University of Surrey, said: “Our findings challenge the notion of a one-size-fits-all optimal growth pattern. Instead, they highlight the complex interplay between genetics and health, highlighting the importance of personalized approaches to health management”.

Professor Inga Prokopenko, senior researcher on the study, Professor of e-One Health and Head of Statistical Multi-Omics at the University of Surrey, said: “This study represents a major step forward in understanding the genetic basis of of pubertal growth and its remoteness – Achieving implications for health throughout life.

“As we unlock the secrets encoded in our DNA, we move closer to a future where tailored interventions based on individual genetic profiles will revolutionize health care.”

About this research news in genetics and neurodevelopment

Author: Zhanna Balkhiyarova
Source: University of Surrey
Contact: Zhanna Balkhiyarova – University of Surrey
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News

Original search: Open access
“Genome-Wide Transancestral Association Study of Pubertal Height Longitudinal Growth and Shared Heritability with Adult Health Outcomes” by Jonathan P. Bradfield et al. Biology of the genome

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Summary

Transancestral genome-wide association study of pubertal height longitudinal growth and shared heritability with adult health outcomes

background

Pubertal growth patterns correlate with future health outcomes. However, the genetic mechanisms that mediate growth trajectories remain largely unknown. Here, we modeled longitudinal height growth with Super-Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) growth curve analysis in ~56,000 trans-ascendant samples with repeated height measurements from age 5 to adulthood

We performed genetic analyzes on six phenotypes representing the magnitude, timing, and intensity of the pubertal growth spurt. To investigate the lifelong impact of genetic variants associated with pubertal growth trajectories, we performed genetic correlation analyzes and association studies across the phenomenon in the Penn Medicine BioBank and the UK Biobank.

results

Large-scale growth modeling allows unprecedented insight into adolescent growth in contemporary and 20th-century pediatric cohorts. We identify 26 genome-wide significant loci and leverage trans-ancestry data to perform fine mapping. Our data reveal genetic relationships between pediatric height growth and health across the lifespan, with different growth trajectories correlating with different outcomes.

For example, a faster rate of pubertal growth correlates with higher bone mineral density, HOMA-IR, fasting insulin, type 2 diabetes, and lung cancer, while being taller at early puberty, taller during puberty and having faster pubertal growth were associated with higher risk of atrial fibrillation.

conclusion

We report novel genetic associations with pubertal growth rate and find that genetic determinants of growth are correlated with reproductive, glycemic, respiratory, and cardiac traits in adulthood. These results help identify specific growth trajectories that affect lifelong health and demonstrate that there may not be a single optimal pubertal growth pattern.