PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

UK Biobank study shows dad's influence on birth weight linked to diabetes genes

One of the first studies to use recently released data from the UK Biobank has provided the strongest evidence yet for a link between fathers' diabetes and low birth weight

2013-12-12
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Louise Vennells
l.vennells@exeter.ac.uk
44-139-272-4927
University of Exeter
UK Biobank study shows dad's influence on birth weight linked to diabetes genes One of the first studies to use recently released data from the UK Biobank has provided the strongest evidence yet for a link between fathers' diabetes and low birth weight One of the first studies to use recently released data from the UK Biobank has provided the strongest evidence yet for a link between fathers' diabetes and low birth weight. The research shows that your dad can influence your size at birth and that diabetes genes may explain some of this effect.

The study is unprecedented in its size, using 250,000 adults from the UK, in a resource which will help scientists analyse large data sets to answer questions on human health.

Published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, the findings show that people of below average birth weight are more likely to have a father with late onset diabetes (most likely type 2 diabetes).

The study has been conducted by researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School. The team are one of the first groups to use data from the UK Biobank, a huge repository of health information from people aged between 40 and 70 years old.

Co-lead researcher on the study, Dr Jessica Tyrrell, said: "Using such a large amount of data has allowed us to be very confident in our conclusions. The finding that parent and offspring diabetes could be genetically linked has important implications for current treatments which aim to increase birth weight to help prevent the onset of the disease, suggesting they may be ineffective."

Birth weight is an important factor for new-born babies, with smaller infants having a higher risk of developing a number of conditions later in life, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

The relationship uncovered by this research is likely to be caused by genetic variations passed from father to child which influence both low birth weight and increased risk of type 2 diabetes.

The study marks an important advancement in our understanding of the causes and implications of low birth weight. However, the analysis has also shown that babies born to mothers with diabetes were more likely to be heavier at birth, demonstrating a complex relationship between diabetes and birth weight.

Co-author Professor Tim Frayling stressed: "This study really shows the power of the UK Biobank. It is really important that scientists are able to analyse very large numbers of people to get to the true causes of disease. We can waste huge amounts of time following up false leads, but the size of UKBiobank means that we can be far more certain that our result is real. The UK Biobank will be a hugely valuable resource for UK and scientists worldwide."

Professor Rory Collins, Chief Executive of UK Biobank, said: "I am delighted that the UK Biobank resource is already helping scientists in their research. We are grateful to all the volunteers who have given up their time to provide the detailed health data to make this sort of research possible."

INFORMATION:

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

IU-designed probe opens new path for drug development against leading STD

2013-12-12
IU-designed probe opens new path for drug development against leading STD The probe mimics pathogen's amino acids, solving mystery behind Chlamydiae cell wall Biochemical sleuthing by an Indiana University graduate student has ended a nearly 50-year-old search to find ...

Increase in Hong Kong's over 70s population to cause dramatic rise in hip fractures

2013-12-12
Increase in Hong Kong's over 70s population to cause dramatic rise in hip fractures Serious impact on health-care costs, early deaths, disability and need for elderly care Hong Kong, China – A new report issued today by the International ...

Johns Hopkins researchers identify a new way to predict the prognosis for heart failure patients

2013-12-12
Johns Hopkins researchers identify a new way to predict the prognosis for heart failure patients Decreased energy metabolism in heart cells found to be a significant independent risk factor Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a new way to predict which ...

CCS issues guidelines to improve early diagnosis & effective treatment of heart failure in children

2013-12-12
CCS issues guidelines to improve early diagnosis & effective treatment of heart failure in children Published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology Philadelphia, PA, December 11, 2013 – Heart failure in children is an important cause of childhood health problems ...

NASA's TRMM satellite sees powerful storms in Tropical Cyclone Madi

2013-12-12
NASA's TRMM satellite sees powerful storms in Tropical Cyclone Madi NASA's TRMM satellite spotted heavy rainfall and very high cloud tops in strong thunderstorms in the southern quadrant of Tropical Cyclone Madi on December 11 as it neared southeastern India's coast. ...

Arctic cyclones more common than previously thought

2013-12-12
Arctic cyclones more common than previously thought Data analysis reveals hundreds of storms -- mostly smaller ones -- that had previously escaped detection SAN FRANCISCO—From 2000 to 2010, about 1,900 cyclones churned across the top of the world each year, leaving ...

CNIO study chosen as discovery of the year in regenerative medicine

2013-12-12
CNIO study chosen as discovery of the year in regenerative medicine The study demonstrated that cells within living organisms possess an unexpectedly high degree of plasticity The prestigious journal Nature Medicine has taken a look at the year ...

Not all species age the same; humans may be outliers

2013-12-12
Not all species age the same; humans may be outliers Adult humans get weaker as they age and then die, but that's not the typical pattern across species. Some organisms don't appear to show signs of aging at all. These are among the findings in ...

Staying ahead of Huntington's disease

2013-12-12
Staying ahead of Huntington's disease Huntington's disease is a devastating, incurable disorder that results from the death of certain neurons in the brain. Its symptoms show as progressive changes in behavior and movements. The neurodegenerative ...

Gender identity and single-sex schools

2013-12-12
Gender identity and single-sex schools Study shows pressure to conform to gender roles is stronger in all-girls schools Montreal, December 11, 2013 — Newspaper headlines worldwide tout the benefits of single-sex schools: Girls 75% more likely to take ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Engineers uncover why tiny particles form clusters in turbulent air

GLP-1RA drugs dramatically reduce death and cardiovascular risk in psoriasis patients

Psoriasis linked to increased risk of vision-threatening eye disease, study finds

Reprogramming obesity: New drug from Italian biotech aims to treat the underlying causes of obesity

Type 2 diabetes may accelerate development of multiple chronic diseases, particularly in the early stages, UK Biobank study suggests

Resistance training may improve nerve health, slow aging process, study shows

Common and inexpensive medicine halves the risk of recurrence in patients with colorectal cancer

SwRI-built instruments to monitor, provide advanced warning of space weather events

Breakthrough advances sodium-based battery design

New targeted radiation therapy shows near-complete response in rare sarcoma patients

Does physical frailty contribute to dementia?

Soccer headers and brain health: Study finds changes within folds of the brain

Decoding plants’ language of light

UNC Greensboro study finds ticks carrying Lyme disease moving into western NC

New implant restores blood pressure balance after spinal cord injury

New York City's medical specialist advantage may be an illusion, new NYU Tandon research shows

Could a local anesthetic that doesn’t impair motor function be within reach?

1 in 8 Italian cetacean strandings show evidence of fishery interactions, with bottlenose and striped dolphins most commonly affected, according to analysis across four decades of data and more than 5

In the wild, chimpanzees likely ingest the equivalent of several alcoholic drinks every day

Warming of 2°C intensifies Arctic carbon sink but weakens Alpine sink, study finds

Bronze and Iron Age cultures in the Middle East were committed to wine production

Indian adolescents are mostly starting their periods at an earlier age than 25 years ago

Temporary medical centers in Gaza known as "Medical Points" (MPs) treat an average of 117 people daily with only about 7 staff per MP

Rates of alcohol-induced deaths among the general population nearly doubled from 1999 to 2024

PLOS One study: In adolescent lab animals exposed to cocaine, High-Intensity Interval Training boosts aversion to the drug

Scientists identify four ways our bodies respond to COVID-19 vaccines

Stronger together: A new fusion protein boosts cancer immunotherapy

Hidden brain waves as triggers for post-seizure wandering

Music training can help the brain focus

Researcher develop the first hydride ion prototype battery

[Press-News.org] UK Biobank study shows dad's influence on birth weight linked to diabetes genes
One of the first studies to use recently released data from the UK Biobank has provided the strongest evidence yet for a link between fathers' diabetes and low birth weight