Could Your Genes Be Making You Overweight? Key Findings from Latest Research

The absence of the SMIM 1 gene due to mutation has been found to correlate with a high risk of obesity or overweight.

The research results, published in Med, indicate that the risk of obesity or overweight is greater in cases where the SMIM1 gene is missing due to a genetic mutation.

Although various lifestyle factors result in obesity, genetic factors have a considerable impact. According to previous studies, children can inherit obesity from their parents, and research conducted last February suggested an association between 21 Alzheimer-related genes and obesity.

Recently, a research team from the University of Exeter Medical School in the UK analyzed the genetic data of about 500,000 people from the UK Biobank and four other cohorts to investigate genetic mutations that suppress the SMIM1 gene.

The SMIM1 gene protrudes out of the cell membrane of red blood cells, and this modification process accompanies minor changes in red cell indices.

The research team collectively analyzed genetic and blood data and concluded that people with a loss of SMIM1 gene function are at a higher risk of being overweight.

The experts explained that individuals with two defective SMIM1 genes have heavier body weight and higher lipid levels in their blood than those without the gene. Despite consuming the same amount of calories, those subjects’ energy expenditure is lower, making storing the remaining calories as fat easier.

Moreover, people with a loss of SMIM1 gene function not only have higher fat levels in their blood but also exhibit indications of abnormal fat tissue function, heightened liver values, and lower thyroid hormone levels.

The research team discovered that SMIM1 affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis. Without it, mild hypothyroidism can occur, leading to reduced energy expenditure at rest.

Therefore, they believe that people with a loss of SMIM1 could benefit from existing thyroid dysfunction treatments. They further assessed that future research should investigate the specific physiological mechanisms affected by SMIM1.