DILGOM
Dietary, life style, and genetic determinants of obesity and metabolic syndrome
Consortium Leader: Research Professor Pekka Jousilahti, National Public Health Institute-KTL (www.ktl.fi)
Other group leaders: Adjunct Professor Ari Haukkala, University of Helsinki, Department of Social Psychology (www.helsinki.fi)
Professor Johan Eriksson, University of Helsinki, Department of Public Health (www.helsinki.fi)
Academy Professor Leena Peltonen-Palotie, University of Helsinki, Biomedicum (www.ktl.fi)
Other persons involved in the project:
Adjunct Professor Gang Hu, University of Helsinki
Adjunct Professor Satu Männistö, National Public Health Institute-KTL
Adjunct Professor Markus Perola, National Public Health Institute-KTL
Research Professor Veikko Salomaa, National Public Health Institute-KTL
Adjunct Professor Sirpa Sarlio-Lähteenkorva, University of Helsinki
Adjunct Professor Karri Silventoinen, University of Helsinki
Adjunct Professor Liisa Valsta, National Public Health Institute-KTL
ABSTRACT
Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes and contributes markedly to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Abdominal obesity may be even a stronger risk factor for CVD than general obesity. The prevalence of obesity increases with age. A recent Finnish study showed that 69% on men and 76% of women aged 45 to 74 years fulfilled the criteria of central obesity and 42% of men and 33% of women had abnormal glucose metabolism. The term metabolic syndrome refers to a specific clustering of CVD risk factors (abdominal fat distribution, dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure and abnormal glucose metabolism) whose underlying pathophysiology is thought to be related to insulin resistance. It is still unclear, however, whether the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors included in the definition of metabolic syndrome has a common underlying pathophysiology.
Obesity and metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes and CVD as their consequences, result from interactions between genetic and life style risk factors, particularly unhealthy dietary habits and physical activity, largely determined by psychosocial factors. Physiological responses to diet and physical activity, such as weight gain and glucose metabolism, vary considerably from person to person and these individual differences are influenced by genetic factors.
The present study consists of five major components; (1) careful assessment of diet, physical activity, psychosocial factors, markers of obesity and glucose metabolism among 2000 men and women aged 25 to 44 years, (2) assessing the relationship of psychosocial factors on diet, physical activity, obesity and metabolic syndrome (3) investigation of the effect of diet on selected endocrinological factors, cytokines and other biomarkers, and their relationship to weight and glucose metabolism (4) genome wide profiling of abdominal obesity and metabolic syndrome and testing the effect of identified genes on weight gain and changes in glucose metabolism in a prospective cohort design, and (5) five year follow-up and reassessment of the participants in 2012. This application is related to the funding of the components 1-4 of the research plan.
Objectives of the study are to provide novel scientific knowledge on the effect of diet, physical activity and genetic factors, and their interactions, on weight and glucose metabolism and their changes, related endocrinological and metabolic mechanisms, and psychosocial background factors. For this kind of studies selection of the study population with detailed phenotype information becomes increasingly important. A recent international report acknowledged that the Finnish population may be the best in the world for the assessment of the effect of behavioural and genetic factors and their interaction on the etiology of chronic multifactorial diseases.
Key words: diet, physical activity, life styles, genetics, obesity, metabolic syndrome