FTO rs9939609 A allele influences anthropometric outcome in response to dietary intervention, but not in response to physical exercise program.

PURPOSE: The fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) gene is involved in energy homeostasis. The A allele of the rs9939609 (SNP; T>A) is associated with obesity and higher food intake, while its effect in energy expenditure remains unclear. The aim of this study is to examine whether FTO rs9939609 is associated with the anthropometric outcomes of a physical exercise program and a dietary intervention. METHODS: We studied two independent samples. The first was composed by children and adolescents in which overweight and obese individuals were submitted to a physical exercise program (n = 136) and normal weight participants served as a control group (n = 172). The second sample was composed by obese women submitted to a hypocaloric dietary intervention (n = 126). RESULTS: Physical exercise and dietary intervention were effective, independently of genotype. We found no association of FTO rs9939609 with obesity in children and adolescents (p = 0.67). The rs9939609 affected the response to dietary intervention in obese women: A allele carriers reduced 2.7 cm less of abdominal circumference (AC) than homozygous TT (p = 0.04), while no effect was observed in response to physical exercise in overweight and obese children and adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The A allele is associated with a worse outcome in response to the hypocaloric dietary intervention regarding abdominal circumference reduction; the same allele did not show interaction with any anthropometric outcomes in response to the exercise program applied.

FTO rs9939609 Does Not Interact with Physical Exercise but Influences Basal Insulin Metabolism in Brazilian Overweight and Obese Adolescents.

Purpose: The rs9939609 SNP (T > A) in FTO gene is associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The present study aimed at verifying whether this SNP influenced biochemical outcomes of children and adolescents who are overweight/obese submitted to a program of physical exercise and also if there was influence on basal levels of these biochemical variables. Methods: The sample was composed by 432 children and adolescents grouped in three ways (obese, overweight, and normal weight); of these, 135 children and adoloescents who are obese and overweight were submitted to a physical exercise program for 12 weeks. All were genotyped by TaqMan SNP genotyping assay. Results: The children and adolescents who are overweight/obese and carriers of AA genotype had higher levels of insulin (p=0.03) and HOMA (p=0.007) and lower levels of glucose (p=0.003), but the SNP did not modulate the response to physical exercise. Conclusions: In our study, the rs9939609 AA genotype was associated with parameters related to insulin metabolism but did not interact with physical exercise.