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American Journal of Epidemiology Vol. 140, No. 8: 711-720
Copyright © 1994 by The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health

research-article

Genetic Influences on Adult Weight Gain and Maximum Body Mass Index in Male Twins

R. R. Fabsitz1,, P. Sholinsky1 and D. Carmelli2

1Clinical and Genetic Epidemiology Branch of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Bethesda, MD
2SRI International Menlo Park, CA

Reprint requests to Richard R. Fabsitz, Federal Building Room 3A-17, Bethesda, MD 20892

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Twin Study is a multicenter, longitudinal study of 514 white, male twin pairs examined during military induction at the mean age of 20 years (1943) and by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Twin Study at mean ages 48 (1971), 58 (1981), and 63 years (1986). Of these, 121 of 254 monozygotic pairs and 113 of 260 dizygotic pairs had complete data for all examinations. Using these data, genetic influences on maximum body mass index (BMI) and changes in BMI during this 43-year interval were estimated. BMI (kg/m2 was calculated for each examination and for the maximum weight as recalled by the participant at the last examination. Regression equations were fitted to each person's four-examination measurements to estimate the trend in weight change over adulthood. Twins gained an average of 0.11 kg/m2 per year from mean ages 20–63 years. Maximum BMI averaged 28.4 kg/m2 for monzygotic twins and 28.3 kg/m2 for dizygotic twins. The distribution of the ages at rnaximum BMI appeared to be bimodal for each zygosity, with modes around ages 20 and 60 years. Heritability (variation attributable to genetic factors) was estimated to be 0.71 (95% confidence interval 0.55–0.87) for maximum BMI and 0.70 (95– confidence interval 0.55–0.84) for trend in adult weight gain. In contrast, variability of BMI around the trend line showed no evidence of significant genetic determination.

adults; body mass index; body weight; genetics; longitudinal studies; men; twins; weight gain


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