Journal article
Genetic Risks for Chronic Conditions: Implications for Long-term Wellbeing
The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, Vol.73(4), pp.477-483
04/01/2018
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glx154
PMCID: PMC5861924
PMID: 28958056
Abstract
Background: Relationships between genetic risks for chronic diseases and long-run wellbeing are largely unexplored. We examined the associations between genetic predispositions to several chronic conditions and long-term functional health and socioeconomic status (SES).
Methods: We used data on a nationally representative sample of 9,317 adults aged 65 years or older from the 1992 to 2012 Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) in the US. Survey data were linked to genetic data on nearly 2 million single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). We measured individual-level genetic predispositions for coronary-artery disease, type 2 diabetes (T2D), obesity, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), Alzheimer's disease, and major depressive disorder (MDD) by polygenic risk scores (PRS) derived from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The outcomes were self-rated health, depressive symptoms, cognitive ability, activities of everyday life, educational attainment, and wealth. We employed regression analyses for the outcomes including all polygenic scores and adjusting for gender, birth period, and genetic ancestry.
Results: The polygenic scores had important associations with functional health and SES. An increase in genetic risk for all conditions except T2D was significantly (p < .01) associated with reduced functional health and socioeconomic outcomes. The magnitudes of functional health declines were meaningful and in many cases equivalent in magnitude to several years of aging. These associations were robust to several sensitivity checks for ancestry and adjustment for parental educational attainment and age at death or the last interview if alive.
Conclusion: Stronger genetic predispositions for leading chronic conditions are related to worse long-run health and SES outcomes, likely reflecting the adverse effects of the onset of these conditions on one's wellbeing.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Genetic Risks for Chronic Conditions: Implications for Long-term Wellbeing
- Creators
- George L. Wehby - University of IowaBenjamin W. Domingue - Stanford UniversityFredric D. Wolinsky - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, Vol.73(4), pp.477-483
- Publisher
- Oxford Univ Press
- DOI
- 10.1093/gerona/glx154
- PMID
- 28958056
- PMCID
- PMC5861924
- ISSN
- 1079-5006
- eISSN
- 1758-535X
- Number of pages
- 7
- Grant note
- U01AG009740; RC2AG036495; RC4AG039029 / National Institute on Aging; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA) RC4AG039029 / NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON AGING; United States Department of Health & Human Services; National Institutes of Health (NIH) - USA; NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA)
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 04/01/2018
- Academic Unit
- Preventive and Community Dentistry; Health Management and Policy; Economics; Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984364400802771
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