FTO predicts weight regain in the Look AHEAD Clinical Trial

Background—Genome-wide association studies have provided new insights into the genetic factors that contribute to the development of obesity. We hypothesized that these genetic markers would also predict magnitude of weight loss and weight regain after initial weight loss. Methods—Established obesity risk alleles available on the Illumina CARe iSelect (IBC) chip were characterized in 3,899 overweight or obese participants with type 2 diabetes from the Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes), a randomized trial to determine the effects of intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) and Diabetes Support and Education (DSE) on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Primary analyses examined the interaction between 13 obesity-risk polymorphisms in 8 genes and randomized treatment arm in predicting weight change at year 1, and weight regain at year 4 among individuals who lost 3 % or more of their baseline weight b