| The body-mass index of twins who have been reared apart. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 2336075 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
To assess the relative importance of genetic and environmental effects on the body-mass index (weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters), we studied samples of identical and fraternal twins, reared apart or reared together. The samples consisted of 93 pairs of identical twins reared apart, 154 pairs of identical twins reared together, 218 pairs of fraternal twins reared apart, and 208 pairs of fraternal twins reared together. The intrapair correlation coefficients of the values for body-mass index of identical twins reared apart were 0.70 for men and 0.66 for women. These are the most direct estimates of the relative importance of genetic influences (heritability) on the body-mass index, and they were only slightly lower than those for twins reared together in this and earlier studies. Similar estimates were derived from maximum-likelihood model-fitting analyses--0.74 for men and 0.69 for women. Nonadditive genetic variance made a significant contribution to the estimates of heritability, particularly among men. Of the potential environmental influences, only those unique to the individual and not those shared by family members were important, contributing about 30 percent of the variance. Sharing the same childhood environment did not contribute to the similarity of the body-mass index of twins later in life. We conclude that genetic influences on body-mass index are substantial, whereas the childhood environment has little or no influence. These findings corroborate and extend the results of earlier studies of twins and adoptees. |
| | |
Authors:
|
A J Stunkard; J R Harris; N L Pedersen; G E McClearn |
Related Documents
:
|
12877395 - A quantitative genetic analysis of schizotypal personality traits. 4023475 - Comparison of ascertainment-bias correction schemes for pedigrees ascertained through m... 6931485 - Genetic analysis of occlusal variation in twins. 9169275 - Geographic information systems, spatial network analysis, and contraceptive choice. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: The New England journal of medicine Volume: 322 ISSN: 0028-4793 ISO Abbreviation: N. Engl. J. Med. Publication Date: 1990 May |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 1990-06-11 Completed Date: 1990-06-11 Revised Date: 2007-11-14 |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 0255562 Medline TA: N Engl J Med Country: UNITED STATES |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 1483-7 Citation Subset: AIM; IM |
Affiliation:
|
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Aged Aged, 80 and over Analysis of Variance Body Mass Index* Environment Female Humans Male Middle Aged Models, Statistical Sex Factors Twins* Twins, Dizygotic Twins, Monozygotic |
| Grant Support | |
ID/Acronym/Agency:
|
AG 04563/AG/NIA NIH HHS |
| Comments/Corrections | |
Comment In:
|
N Engl J Med. 1990 May 24;322(21):1530
[PMID:
2336081
]
N Engl J Med. 1990 May 24;322(21):1522-4 [PMID: 2104505 ] N Engl J Med. 1990 Oct 11;323(15):1067-9 [PMID: 2215567 ] |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: The response to long-term overfeeding in identical twins.
Next Document: Relation of cytogenetic abnormalities and clinical outcome in metastatic melanoma.