Approved Research

Genomic association between cardiac adiposity and obesity: A prospective analysis of the UK Biobank participants

Lay summary

Obesity, a widely recognized metabolic risk indicator, is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in various fat depots, including heart fat depots. Heart fat accumulation mirrors whole-body low-grade inflammation, reflects greater fat accumulation around internal organs, and consequently associates with many vascular risk factors. The role of heart fat depots in adverse heart events remains unclear. The association between the gene profiles, the devastating heart function, and increasing heart fatness also warrants further investigation.

In the current proposal, we hypothesize that specific gene features determine the magnitude of heart fatness and are associated with metabolic profiles. We use multiple analyses to formally assess the role of distinct genes in any observed association between heart fatness and heart physiological characteristics, including metabolic profile and blood markers.

UK Biobank prospective cohort data will be retrieved and used in the project. The wide range of classic vascular risk factors, obesity indices, and detailed fat measures will be analyzed. Heart fatness and functions are measured by imaging technologies called cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR). Genomic data are explored in all individuals at enrolment. The heart fat measures will then be correlated to other factors related to obesity and metabolic syndromes, such as genetic and demographic data, lifestyle and dietary information, blood analysis data, and metabolic information. The clinical endpoint is atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). We intend to analyze the full cohort of the UK Biobank imaging study.

The estimated duration of this project is 36 months, but due to the complex nature of the analysis, it may need to be extended for a longer period.

This project could help to understand the complicated relationship between heart fatness and ASCVD. Our research will reveal the new reasons for obesity-related ASCVD and provide more comprehensive insights into the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of ASCVD in the general population.