Approved Research

An investigation of the gene x environment interactions for diabetes and metabolic traits

Lay summary

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, result in 71% of deaths globally. Metabolic traits such as high blood pressure, obesity, insulin resistance, and high cholesterol increase the risk for certain NCDs. Diabetes and these metabolic risk traits are influenced by genes and environmental factors such as diet, physical activity and psychological trauma.

However, exactly which genes and how these interact with the various environmental/lifestyle factors are largely unknown. In this proposed study we will investigate whether there are statistically significant interactions between genetic risk scores (which is a sum of the genetic risk variants across the genome) for diabetes and each of the metabolic traits and environmental factors and whether this interaction increases an individual's risk for developing these medical traits.

In particular, we are interested in the interactive effects between psychological trauma such as intimate partner violence and childhood trauma and the respective genetic risk scores for each of the traits in different ancestry groups.  The findings from this study will provide more insight into the biology underlying diabetes and other NCDs and will also provide new knowledge on the relationship between genetic factors and the environment in the development of these complex diseases. This, in turn, will allow for the development of better prevention and treatment strategies.

This study proposal aligns with the aims of the UK Biobank which is 'to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of illnesses and to promote health throughout society'.  We anticipate that this study will run for approximately 3 years.