Potential genetic factor in eating disorders discovered
June 6th, 2010 - 1:14 pm ICT by ANIWashington, June 6 (ANI): A possible biological culprit in the development of eating disorders during puberty has been discovered by scientists.
The groundbreaking pilot study led by Michigan State University found that influence of one’s genes on eating disorder symptoms was much greater in pubertal girls with higher levels of estradiol than pubertal girls with lower levels of estradiol. The study appears in the journal Psychological Medicine.
Lead investigator Kelly Klump, MSU associate professor of psychology, said previous research had established that eating disorders are influenced by both genetic and environmental factors once a girl hits puberty.
The underlying effects of the genes, however, were unknown.
“The reason we see an increase in genetic influences during puberty is that the genes for disordered eating are essentially getting switched on during that time,” said Klump.
“This research was trying to figure out why. What’s turning on the genes during puberty? And what we found is that increases in estradiol apparently are activating genetic risk for eating disorders.”
Estradiol is the predominant form of estrogen in females and is responsible for the growth of reproductive organs and also influences other organs including bones.
Klump noted that researchers don’t yet know which genes are being switched on by estradiol.
But knowing that estradiol likely plays a role in the development of eating disorders could ultimately open the window to new treatments, said Klump, past president of the Academy of Eating Disorders.
In addition, she said, prevention efforts could be geared toward those girls who not only are in high-risk environmental contexts (such as weight-focused sports), but also those with genetic risks such as a family history of eating disorders.
The study examined the estradiol levels of nearly 200 sets of female twins, ages 10-15, from the MSU Twin Registry, which includes more than 5,000 pairs of twins in Michigan. Klump runs the registry with S. Alexandra Burt, assistant professor of psychology. (ANI)
- Blame genes for eating disorders - Jun 05, 2010
- ADHD kids' academic grades influenced both by genes and environment - Apr 24, 2011
- Environment not genes govern testosterone levels - May 10, 2012
- Genes a crucial factor in urinary incontinence - Apr 05, 2011
- Understanding gene-environment interaction for a psychosis model - Aug 30, 2010
- Genes linking puberty to body fat in women discovered - Nov 22, 2010
- High-fat diet during puberty linked to breast cancer risk - Sep 01, 2010
- Early alcohol, tobacco use might delay onset of puberty in girls - Sep 15, 2010
- Study indicates that young girls are entering puberty earlier - Aug 09, 2010
- Largest genetic study of anorexia nervosa detects common, rare variants - Nov 20, 2010
- Twins help Oz researchers find genes for blindness - Sep 13, 2010
- Site in brain where leptin may trigger puberty identified - Dec 23, 2010
- Age of onset of puberty predicts adult osteoporosis risk - Jan 29, 2011
- Depression increases over time for addiction-prone women - Feb 19, 2011
- Genes blamed for gay tendencies - Jul 08, 2011
Tags: academy of eating disorders, disordered eating, eating disorder symptoms, environmental contexts, estradiol levels, female twins, genetic factor, genetic influences, genetic risk, genetic risks, history of eating disorders, klump, michigan state university, pilot study, prevention efforts, previous research, psychological medicine, puberty, reproductive organs, those girls