Minor alleles in the FTO SNPs contributed to the increased risk of obesity among Korean adults: meta-analysis from nationwide big data-based studies

Many studies have revealed an association between fat mass and the obesity-related gene ( ) and obesity. On the other hand, no meta-analysis was conducted with data from only Koreans. Therefore, this study performed a meta-analysis using Korean data to provide evidence for the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the risk of obesity among Korean adults. Meta-analysis was finally conducted with data extracted from seven datasets of four studies performed on Korean adults after the screening passed. Five kinds of SNPs (rs9939609, rs7193144, rs9940128, rs8050136, and rs9926289) were included, and the relationship between SNPs and body mass index (BMI) was investigated using linear regression with an additive model adjusted for covariants, such as age, sex, and area. The minor alleles of SNPs were associated with increased BMI (odds ratio [OR], 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21-1.42). In sub-group analysis, rs9939609 T>A was significantly associated with BMI (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.06-1.42). The other SNPs together were significantly associated with BMI (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.25-1.49). The publication bias was not observed based on Egger's test. This meta-analysis showed that minor alleles in the SNPs were significantly associated with an increased BMI among Korean adults. This meta-analysis is the first to demonstrate that minor alleles in the SNPs contribute significantly to the increased risk of obesity among Korean adults using data from a Korean population.