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Birth weight within the normal range is associated with a variety of adult-onset diseases, but the mechanisms behind these associations are poorly understood. Previous genome-wide association studies of birth weight identified a variant in the ADCY5 gene associated both with birth weight and type 2 diabetes and a second variant, near CCNL1, with no obvious link to adult traits. In an expanded genome-wide association meta-analysis and follow-up study of birth weight (of up to 69,308 individuals of European descent from 43 studies), we have now extended the number of loci associated at genome-wide significance to 7, accounting for a similar proportion of variance as maternal smoking. Five of the loci are known to be associated with other phenotypes: ADCY5 and CDKAL1 with type 2 diabetes, ADRB1 with adult blood pressure and HMGA2 and LCORL with adult height. Our findings highlight genetic links between fetal growth and postnatal growth and metabolism.

Original publication

DOI

10.1038/ng.2477

Type

Journal article

Journal

Nat Genet

Publication Date

01/2013

Volume

45

Pages

76 - 82

Keywords

Adult, Birth Weight, Blood Pressure, Body Height, Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2, Female, Fetal Development, Genetic Linkage, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Genome-Wide Association Study, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Male, Meta-Analysis as Topic, Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide, Quantitative Trait Loci