Obesity Gene

Obesity Gene? Does an Obesity Gene exist and is it in the mix of prompting Alzheimer’s Disease? Or is Obesity largely a result of a person’s chosen Lifestyle?

 

 

Obesity Gene FTO

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Information obtained from…

Telegraph.co.uk

Published: 7:00AM BST 20 Apr 2010

A gene linked to obesity
may also cause Alzheimer’s disease,
according to a new study.

 

Obesity increases the risk of dementia
because it can lead to
damage of the blood vessels in the brain.

Scientists found a pattern of diminished brain volume in those with a variant of the gene known as FTO.

The mutation can cause people to over-eat and is carried by almost half of Caucasians, but only 16 percent of Asians which could help explain why they suffer less from obesity.

Neurologist Professor Paul Thompson and colleagues said the brain differences could not be directly attributed to other obesity-related factors such as cholesterol levels, diabetes or high blood pressure.

Obesity increases the risk of dementia because it can lead to damage of the blood vessels in the brain which in turn leads to the death of brain cells.

The study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences did not identify the mechanism behind the brain damage and cannot determine where the faulty gene’s influence on obesity lies.

But those with the mutation had at least eight percent fewer cells in the frontal lobes of the brain – the part most involved in complex judgments – and 12 percent less in the occipital lobes which is associated with the processing of mental imagery. These areas also showed damage in subjects with higher body mass index (BMI).

Prof Thompson, of California University, and colleagues say the mutation may contribute to brain degeneration beyond the influence of a person’s body weight.

They said: “With more than one billion overweight and 300 million obese persons worldwide it’s crucial to understand the implications of carrying this very common allele (variant) for the health of our ageing population.

“We found a pattern of systematic brain volume deficits in carriers of the obesity-associated risk allele versus non-carriers.

“These brain maps reveal a commonly carried susceptibility allele for obesity is associated with structural brain atrophy (damage) with implications for the health of the elderly.”

FTO is the first common obesity gene to be identified in white people. Adults with two copies of the gene are on average three kilograms heavier than those without the gene. People with a single copy are 1.5 kilos heavier.

The researchers said: “Obesity is a major public health concern; it is associated with increased risk for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, and coronary heart disease.

“The elderly population is particularly vulnerable 40 per cent of men and 45 per cent of women over age 70 suffer from either obesity or type 2 diabetes.

“In addition to increasing ones risk for poor cardiovascular health, obesity is a risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

“Here we showed a substantial effect on brain structure of a commonly carried variant within the FTO gene, which is associated with obesity and carried by 46 per cent of Western Europeans.

“The present finding has important implications for obesity research and for combating the progression of neuro-degeneration.”

Spokesman for the Alzheimer’s Society said: “We’ve known for some time that there’s a link between obesity in mid life and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. However this study suggests that healthy people who carry a specific DNA sequence associated with obesity could be at a greater risk of developing dementia.

“A reduction in people’s brain tissue was observed but this wasn’t linked to other obesity-related factors such as cholesterol levels, diabetes or high blood pressure. “This is a relatively small study but the findings support the need for more research.

One million people will develop dementia in the next 10 years but dementia research is desperately under-funded, however with the right investment, it can be defeated.”