💾 Archived View for gmi.noulin.net › mobileNews › 3179.gmi captured on 2021-12-05 at 23:47:19. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
⬅️ Previous capture (2021-12-03)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Genes that result in a slender figure have been linked to heart disease and
type-two diabetes, conditions normally associated with being overweight.
A study suggests variants of the IRS1 gene reduce fat under the skin, but not
the more dangerous visceral fat around organs such as the heart and liver.
The Medical Research Council study, published in Nature Genetics, examined the
genes of more than 76,000 people.
The link between the genetic variants and the conditions was stronger in men.
Skinny risk
The lead researcher, Dr Ruth Loos, said: "We've uncovered a truly fascinating
genetic story and when we found the effect of this gene we were very intrigued.
"It is not only overweight individuals who can be predisposed for these
metabolic diseases, and lean individuals shouldn't make assumptions that they
are healthy based on their appearance."
Dr Iain Frame, director of research at the charity Diabetes UK, said the study
could "shed light on why 20% of people with type-two diabetes have the
condition despite being a healthy weight".
"It is also a clear message that people who appear slim shouldn't be complacent
about their health," he added.
British Heart Foundation associate medical director Prof Jeremy Pearson said:
"These results reinforce the idea that it is not just how fat you are, but
where you lay down fat that's particularly important for heart risk.
"Fat stored internally is worse for you than fat stored under the skin.
"However, they don't detract from the fact that being overweight is bad for
your heart health, so we should still try to stay lean and fit."