Obesity and Macrovascular Complications of the Heart and Kidneys: the Emerging Role of Genetics to Predict Risk and Treatment Outcomes

Globally, obesity continues to be a growing public health challenge and has been associated with cardiometabolic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Current strategies aimed at reducing these cardiometabolic diseases include treatments aimed at controlling hypertension, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia. In more severe cases, bariatric surgery is used to decrease obesity in order to decrease these macrovascular complications. Mendelian Randomization (MR) can assess the genetic association between a trait and a downstream outcome. Using two-sample MR, we hope to analyze how genetic traits for obesity are causally linked with cardiovascular and chronic kidney diseases and if these genetic links can inform more effective, personalized treatments.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jennifer Brooks

Student:

Partner:

University Health Network

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Toronto

Program: