Expressive

rs10130838 (MEG8): BMI-associated genetic variant

Key takeaways

  • rs10130838 near MEG8 is one of over 900 genetic locations linked to body mass index in a study of more than 1.1 million people
  • BMI genetic risk built from thousands of variants like this one connects to 316 distinct diseases, with 96.5% showing increased risk
  • Confirmed disease links include heart failure, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic kidney disease, and asthma
  • The study spans both European and African ancestry populations in one of the largest BMI genome-wide analyses to date
  • The individual effect size of this specific variant on BMI is not separately reported in the available study data

Key takeaways

  • rs10130838 is a genetic variant near the MEG8 gene, identified through large-scale genome-wide research on body mass index (BMI)
  • The study covering this class of variants analyzed more than 1.1 million participants of European ancestry and approximately 100,000 of African ancestry
  • BMI-linked genetic risk, aggregated across thousands of variants, connects to over 300 common diseases, with 96.5% of associations reflecting increased risk
  • Confirmed disease links include heart failure, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic renal failure, respiratory failure, and asthma
  • The individual contribution of this specific variant to BMI or disease risk is not separately quantified in the available study data

What the research says A genome-wide association study (GWAS) - a method that scans the entire genome across large populations to find variants linked to a trait - identified 906 genome-wide significant loci for BMI in approximately 1.1 million participants of European ancestry and 41 loci in approximately 100,000 participants of African ancestry, with 364 and 6 of those loci respectively reported as newly discovered. The researchers constructed a genetic risk score (GRS) from 2,446 BMI-associated variants and applied it across the Million Veteran Program, finding associations with 316 distinct medical diagnoses, of which 96.5% reflected elevated disease risk. Mendelian randomization analysis - an approach that uses genetic variants as instruments to probe for causal relationships between an exposure and outcomes - confirmed connections between genetically elevated BMI and conditions spanning multiple organ systems.

Reported associations

  • Body mass index (BMI): rs10130838, in the MEG8 region, falls within one of 906 genome-wide significant loci for BMI identified in European ancestry populations (N approximately 1.1 million); 41 significant loci were identified separately in African ancestry populations (N approximately 100,000)
  • Heart failure: Mendelian randomization analysis confirmed a relationship between genetic BMI elevation and heart failure risk across the study population
  • Ischemic heart disease: Confirmed via Mendelian randomization as associated with higher genetic BMI risk
  • Atrial fibrillation: Confirmed via Mendelian randomization as associated with higher genetic BMI risk
  • Chronic renal failure: Mendelian randomization confirmed an association between genetic BMI risk and chronic kidney disease
  • Respiratory failure: Confirmed via Mendelian randomization as associated with higher genetic BMI risk
  • Asthma: Confirmed via Mendelian randomization as associated with higher genetic BMI risk
  • Musculoskeletal and dermatologic conditions: The study identified connections to conditions in these categories within a broader BMI-disease comorbidity network

Evidence quality The study from which this variant's BMI association is drawn used a very large sample - approximately 1.1 million European ancestry and approximately 100,000 African ancestry participants - placing it among the largest BMI GWAS analyses conducted. The 316 disease associations reflect a composite GRS built from 2,446 variants; the study does not isolate the individual contribution of rs10130838 in the data provided. Mendelian randomization strengthens causal inference for the broader BMI-disease relationships identified, but a specific p-value and effect size for this locus alone are not available in the provided study text. No conflicting findings are reported within the single available study.

Lifestyle considerations No lifestyle considerations on file for this variant.

Frequently asked questions

What is rs10130838?

rs10130838 is a genetic variant located near the MEG8 gene. It was identified in one of the largest genome-wide association studies of body mass index, covering more than 1.1 million people of European ancestry.

Is rs10130838 linked to obesity?

rs10130838 falls within one of 906 genome-wide significant locations for body mass index identified in a major genetic study, placing it near a region of the genome associated with BMI. The study does not separately report the individual effect size for this variant.

What diseases are connected to BMI genetic variants like rs10130838?

A genetic risk score built from 2,446 BMI-associated variants was associated with 316 distinct diagnoses in the Million Veteran Program. These included heart failure, ischemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, chronic renal failure, respiratory failure, and asthma, among many others.

What does MEG8 do?

The study that identified rs10130838 as a BMI-associated variant does not describe the specific biological function of MEG8. Based on that study alone, MEG8 is the gene region nearest to this BMI-linked variant.

How strong is the evidence for rs10130838?

The underlying study is very large, covering approximately 1.1 million European ancestry participants and 100,000 African ancestry participants. However, because the available study text reports aggregate genetic risk scores rather than variant-by-variant effect sizes, the individual signal strength for rs10130838 cannot be assessed from this data alone.