Approved research

Fat expandability and metabolic traits

Lay summary

Obesity is an excessive accumulation of fat frequently, but not always, associated with health problems. However, the amount of adipose tissue per se is unlikely to be the factor linking obesity and metabolic complications. Aim 1) Use of bioimpedance, imaging techniques (MRI), and phenotypic characterization to identify genetic factors that set the limit expansion of subcutaneous adipose tissue in individuals with varying degrees of adiposity. Aim 2) use those factors to build metabolic risk scores able to predict fertility outcomes (pregnancy, miscarriage, births) and metabolic obesity complications, mainly the Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease. This research is focused on one of the most prevalent current conditions, such as obesity, any advance on this field that might occur will benefit the public interest. Thus, the proposed research will result in risk scores that can be used to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of obesity-related complications. Metabolic risk scores will be developed as a combination of variables generated by genotyping and the extensive phenotype characterization. Individuals whose anthropometric (MRI and/or DEXA and/or bioimpedance) and genotyping data become available.