A large number of genetic loci are associated with adult body mass index. However, the genetics of childhood body mass index are largely unknown. We performed a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies of childhood body mass index, using sex- and age-adjusted standard deviation scores. We included 35 668 children from 20 studies in the discovery phase and 11 873 children from 13 studies in the replication phase. In total, 15 loci reached genome-wide significance (P-value < 5 × 10(-8)) in the joint discovery and replication analysis, of which 12 are previously identified loci in or close to ADCY3, GNPDA2, TMEM18, SEC16B, FAIM2, FTO, TFAP2B, TNNI3K, MC4R, GPR61, LMX1B and OLFM4 associated with adult body mass index or childhood obesity. We identified three novel loci: rs13253111 near ELP3, rs8092503 near RAB27B and rs13387838 near ADAM23. Per additional risk allele, body mass index increased 0.04 Standard Deviation Score (SDS) [Standard Error (SE) 0.007], 0.05 SDS (SE 0.008) and 0.14 SDS (SE 0.025), for rs13253111, rs8092503 and rs13387838, respectively. A genetic risk score combining all 15 SNPs showed that each additional average risk allele was associated with a 0.073 SDS (SE 0.011, P-value = 3.12 × 10(-10)) increase in childhood body mass index in a population of 1955 children. This risk score explained 2% of the variance in childhood body mass index. This study highlights the shared genetic background between childhood and adult body mass index and adds three novel loci. These loci likely represent age-related differences in strength of the associations with body mass index.

A sedentary lifestyle and especially poor cardiorespiratory fitness are not only associated with the MS but could also be considered features of the MS. Measurement of VO(2max) in sedentary men with risk factors may provide an efficient means for targeting individuals who would benefit from interventions to prevent the MS and its consequences.

Plasma C-reactive protein levels are reduced in response to exercise training in sedentary healthy adults with high initial C-reactive protein levels. This finding may partly explain the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

High serum linoleate proportions decreased the risk of developing IFG or DM in middle-aged men over a 4-year follow-up, possibly mediated in part by insulin resistance. These findings support recommendations to substitute vegetable fat for animal and dairy fat in the prevention of disturbances of glucose and lipid metabolism.

To identify genetic variants associated with head circumference in infancy, we performed a meta-analysis of seven genome-wide association (GWA) studies (N=10,768 from European ancestry enrolled in pregnancy/birth cohorts) and followed up three lead signals in six replication studies (combined N=19,089). Rs7980687 on chromosome 12q24 (P=8.1×10−9), and rs1042725 on chromosome 12q15 (P=2.8×10−10) were robustly associated with head circumference in infancy. Although these loci have previously been associated with adult height1, their effects on infant head circumference were largely independent of height (P=3.8×10−7 for rs7980687, P=1.3×10−7 for rs1042725 after adjustment for infant height). A third signal, rs11655470 on chromosome 17q21, showed suggestive evidence of association with head circumference (P=3.9×10−6). SNPs correlated to the 17q21 signal show genome-wide association with adult intra cranial volume2, Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases3-5, indicating that a common genetic variant in this region might link early brain growth with neurological disease in later life.

During aging, intracranial volume remains unchanged and represents maximally attained brain size, while various interacting biological phenomena lead to brain volume loss. Consequently, intracranial volume and brain volume in late life reflect different genetic influences. Our genome-wide association study in 8,175 community-dwelling elderly did not reveal any genome-wide significant associations (p<5*10−8) for brain volume. In contrast, intracranial volume was significantly associated with two loci: rs4273712 (p=3.4*10−11), a known height locus on chromosome 6q22, and rs9915547, tagging the inversion on chromosome 17q21 (p=1.5*10−12). We replicated the associations of these loci with intracranial volume in a separate sample of 1,752 older persons (p=1.1*10−3 for 6q22 and p=1.2*10−3 for 17q21). Furthermore, we also found suggestive associations of the 17q21 locus with head circumference in 10,768 children (mean age 14.5 months). Our data identify two loci associated with head size, with the inversion on 17q21 also likely involved in attaining maximal brain size.

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We recently reported that a genomic region close to the leptin locus was linked to fasting insulin response to exercise training in nondiabetic white subjects. We tested the hypothesis that common exonic variants in the leptin (LEP) and leptin receptor (LEPR) genes modify the effects of regular physical activity on glucose homeostasis in nondiabetic whites (n ‫؍‬ 397) and blacks (n ‫؍‬ 143). In whites, exercise increased insulin sensitivity index (P ‫؍‬ 0.041) and disposition index (P ‫؍‬ 0.046) in the LEPR 109R allele carriers but not in the K109K homozygotes, increased glucose disappearance index more in the R109R homozygotes than in the K109 allele carriers (P ‫؍‬ 0.039), and decreased fasting glucose only in the 109R allele carriers (P ‫؍‬ 0.018). We also found an interaction between the LEP A19G and LEPR K109R polymorphisms on the change in fasting insulin in whites (P ‫؍‬ 0.010). The association between the LEP A19G polymorphism and the change in insulin was evident only in the LEPR 109R carriers (P ‫؍‬ 0.019).The decrease in insulin was strongest in the LEP A19A homozygotes who carried the LEPR 109R allele. Similar interaction was observed in blacks (P ‫؍‬ 0.046). Variations in the LEP and LEPR genes are associated with the magnitude of the effects of regular exercise on glucose homeostasis in nondiabetic individuals.