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Genomic ancestry and education level independently influence abdominal fat distributions in a Brazilian admixed population.

Published version
Peer-reviewed

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Authors

França, Giovanny Vinícius Araújo de  ORCID logo  https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7530-2017
De Lucia Rolfe, Emanuella 
Horta, Bernardo Lessa 
Gigante, Denise Petrucci 
Yudkin, John S 

Abstract

We aimed to identify the independent associations of genomic ancestry and education level with abdominal fat distributions in the 1982 Pelotas birth cohort study, Brazil. In 2,890 participants (1,409 men and 1,481 women), genomic ancestry was assessed using genotype data on 370,539 genome-wide variants to quantify ancestral proportions in each individual. Years of completed education was used to indicate socio-economic position. Visceral fat depth and subcutaneous abdominal fat thickness were measured by ultrasound at age 29-31y; these measures were adjusted for BMI to indicate abdominal fat distributions. Linear regression models were performed, separately by sex. Admixture was observed between European (median proportion 85.3), African (6.6), and Native American (6.3) ancestries, with a strong inverse correlation between the African and European ancestry scores (ρ = -0.93; p<0.001). Independent of education level, African ancestry was inversely associated with both visceral and subcutaneous abdominal fat distributions in men (both P = 0.001), and inversely associated with subcutaneous abdominal fat distribution in women (p = 0.009). Independent of genomic ancestry, higher education level was associated with lower visceral fat, but higher subcutaneous fat, in both men and women (all p<0.001). Our findings, from an admixed population, indicate that both genomic ancestry and education level were independently associated with abdominal fat distribution in adults. African ancestry appeared to lower abdominal fat distributions, particularly in men.

Description

Keywords

Adult, Black People, Body Mass Index, Brazil, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Indians, South American, Inheritance Patterns, Intra-Abdominal Fat, Linear Models, Male, Sex Factors, Subcutaneous Fat, Abdominal, White People

Journal Title

PLoS One

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

1932-6203
1932-6203

Volume Title

12

Publisher

Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Sponsorship
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12015/2)