Genetic Contributors to Sarcopenia in 200,000 Older Volunteers
Year: 2018
Type: conference-abstract
Abstract: Sarcopenia is a core feature of frailty. We aimed to identify genetic variants associated with sarcopenia, to shed light on the underlying mechanisms. In 200,000 UK Biobank participants of European descent aged 60–70 years approximately 9% were identified as sarcopenic; i.e. having both low grip strength and muscle mass (European Working Group definition). Six loci were associated with sarcopenia at genome wide significance (p<5x10-8), some previously identified with traits such as fasting insulin levels and obesity. Over 100 independent signals were associated with low lean mass, where only seven were identified for low grip strength. Our results suggest that there are different pathways to low strength and low mass. When analyzing men and women separately, we observed differences in associated loci, suggesting sex-specific routes to sarcopenia.
Source: Innovation in Aging
Authors: L Pilling, D Melzer
Institutions: University of Exeter, University of Connecticut, UConn Health
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,977
OpenAlex ID: W2900033355