Heritability and genetic correlations of insulin resistance and component phenotypes in Asian Indian families using a multivariate analysis

Abstract

Aims/hypothesis: Insulin resistance and related metabolic disturbances are more common among Asian Indians than European whites. Little is known about the heritability of insulin resistance traits in Asian Indians. Our objective was to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations in Asian Indian families. Methods: Phenotypic data were assembled for 181 UK Asian Indian probands with premature CHD, and their 1,454 first-, second- and third-degree relatives. We calculated (narrow-sense) heritabilities and genetic correlations for insulin resistance traits, and common environmental effects using all study participants and a multivariate model. The analysis was repeated in a subsample consisting of individuals not on drug therapy. Results: Heritability estimates (SE) for individuals not on drug therapy were: BMI 0.31 (0.04), WHR 0.27 (0.04), systolic BP 0.29 (0.03), triacylglycerol 0.40 (0.04), HDL-cholesterol 0.53 (0.04), glucose 0.37 (0.03), HOMA of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) 0.22 (0.04), and HbA1c 0.60 (0.04). We observed many significant genetic correlations between the traits, in particular between HOMA-IR and BMI. Heritability estimates were lower for all phenotypes when analysed among all participants. Conclusions/interpretation: Genetic factors contribute to a significant proportion of the total variance in insulin resistance and related metabolic disturbances in Asian Indian CHD families. © 2009 Springer-Verlag.