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Dr. David J. Demko, Gerontologist and Editor AgeVenture News Service, Boca Raton, Florida 01-14-08 | ||
There is a link between human height and osteoarthritis, says a new study reported in the journal of Nature Genetics.
Specifically, short stature is associated with an increased risk of osteoarthritis.
This newly identified genetic association between osteoarthritis and height accounts for an average difference in height of about an eighth of an inch. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease affecting nearly 21 million Americans. Osteoarthritis primarily affects cartilage, and is commonly seen in older people. The study found no differences in health risk between males and females. Also, the link between stature and osteoarthritis risk was not found to be associated an individual's body weight or BMI (Body Mass Index). The basis of the finding lies in a gene noted for creating differences in growth such as the development of cartilage in the legs and other long bones (photo). The study included subjects from the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, Finland as well as individuals with European and African-American ancestry. High risk to osteoarthritis of the hip and knees was especially higher among Asian and European subjects. Scientists admit that much more research is needed before they can "paint a complete picture of this complex human trait." Here's why. A variety of factors interact to determine how tall a given individual grows. These factors include: genetic inheritance from both parents, prenatal environment, as well as nutrition and diet. The researchers speculate that the genetically influenced reduction in the production of a specific protein may affect the amount of cartilage in the spine, the proportion of an individual's arms and legs, and the angles of joints, resulting in a decrease in height and an increase in risk of osteoarthritis. To make their findings, researchers used a genome-wide association study, which is a relatively new, comprehensive strategy that utilizes the tools made possible by the sequencing of the human genome and the mapping of human genetic variation. To conduct a genome-wide association study on a quantitative trait such as height, researchers survey each participant’s complete set of DNA, or genome, looking for strategically selected markers of genetic variation. The completion of the map of human genetic variation, or HapMap, has fueled a surge in genome-wide association studies. Researchers around the globe have now associated more than 60 common DNA variants with the risk of more than 20 common diseases or related traits. “Genome-wide association studies often require the skills of researchers from many different institutions and many different disciplines. By working together in a collaborative manner, we can tackle the complexities of common disease and quantitative traits far more efficiently than we could working alone,” said Dr. Gonçalo R. Abecasis, a statistical geneticist of the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health in Ann Arbor, who co-directed the analysis of data. The research received major support from four of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments and cures for both common and rare diseases. Image credit: National Institutes of Health, Washington, DC. | ||
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FOOTNOTE: AgeVenture readers should note that the research term, association does not mean that one's height causes one to have a higher risk to osteoarthritis. It means that these two variables, height and health risk, appear together, but far more research is needed before a cause-and-effect relationship can be established. For example, there is an association between height and playing professional basketball. Specifically, pro basketball players tend to be over six-feet tall. However, that relationship is not cause-and-effect. Being six-feet tall does not cause one to become qualified to play pro basketball. Likewise, being a professional basketball player does not cause one to grow six-feet tall. These variables of height and ability to play basketball are associated but not causal. Here's the point. While this new research finding is very promising, there is no reason to rush out and buy the latest "height-enhancing" supplement thinking that doing so will lower your risk to osteoarthritis. | ||
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