The Fat-Mass and Obesity-Associated (FTO) gene, physical activity, and risk of incident cardiovascular events in white women

Abstract

Background: Variation in the Fat-Mass and Obesity-Associated (FTO) gene has been associated with obesity, diabetes, and hypertension. However, its association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in healthy populations and any interaction with physical activity remain unclear. Methods: The FTO rs8050136 allele was determined in a prospective cohort study of 21,674 apparently healthy White US women in the Women's Genome Health Study. Results: During a mean follow-up of 12.7 ± 2.0 years, 664 incident CVD events occurred. The risk allele (A) was associated with higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome (all P