A meta-analysis and polygenic score study identifies novel genetic markers for waist-hip ratio in African populations.

Objective: Understanding the genetic underpinnings of anthropometric traits in diverse populations is crucial for gaining insights into their biological mechanisms and potential implications for health.

Methods: We conducted a genome-wide association study, meta-analysis, and gene set analysis of waist-hip ratio (WHR), WHR adjusted for BMI (WHRadjBMI), waist circumference, BMI, and height using the African Collaborative Center for Microbiome and Genomics Research (ACCME) cohort (n = ~11,000) for discovery and polygenic score target analyses and the Africa America Diabetes Mellitus (AADM) study (n = ~5200) for replication and polygenic score validation. We generated and compared polygenic scores from European, African, Afro-Caribbean, and multiethnic ancestry populations.

Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Health-Related Quality of Life Among Cancer Survivors in the United States.

Purpose: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is a critical aspect of cancer survivorship, influenced by various social determinants of health (SDoH) such as economic stability, education access, and healthcare coverage. Understanding the impact of these determinants is essential for developing interventions that improve the well-being of cancer survivors.

Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were conducted using data from 20,534 adults with cancer, including 15,754 from the All of Us (AOU) Research Program (2015-2024) and 4,780 from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (2001-2018).

Mapping Epigenetic Gene Variant Dynamics: Comparative Analysis of Frequency, Functional Impact and Trait Associations in African and European Populations.

Epigenetic modifications influence gene expression levels, impact organismal traits, and play a role in the development of diseases. Therefore, variants in genes involved in epigenetic processes are likely to be important in disease susceptibility, and the frequency of variants may vary between populations with African and European ancestries. Here, we analyse an integrated dataset to define the frequencies, associated traits, and functional impact of epigenetic gene variants among individuals of African and European ancestry represented in the UK Biobank.

The Impact of Conventional Stroke Risk Factors on Early and Late Onset Ischemic Stroke: a Mendelian Randomization Study.

Objective: Although stroke incidence is decreasing in older ages, it is increasing in young adults. While these divergent trends in stroke incidence are at least partially attributable to diverging prevalence trends in stoke risk factors, age-dependent differences in the impact of stroke risk factors on stroke may also contribute. To address this issue, we utilized Mendelian Randomization (MR) to assess differences in the association of stroke risk factors between early onset ischemic stroke (EOS) and late onset ischemic stroke (LOS).