Phenotypic and genetic relationship between BMI and cigarette smoking in a sample of UK adults

Abstract

In addition to the health hazards posed individually by cigarette smoking and obesity, the combination of these conditions poses a particular impairment to health. Genetic factors have been shown to influence both traits and, to understand the connection between these conditions, we examined both the observed and genetic relationship between adiposity (an electrical impedance measure of body mass index (BMI)) and cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) in a large sample of current, former, and never smokers in the United Kingdom. In former smokers, BMI was positively associated with cigarettes formerly smoked; further, the genetic factors related to a greater number of cigarettes smoked were also responsible for a higher BMI. In current smokers, there was a positive association between BMI and number of cigarettes smoked, though this relationship did not appear to be influenced by similar genetic factors. We found a positive genetic relationship between smoking in current/former smokers and BMI in never smokers (who would be unmarred by the effects of nicotine). In addition to CPD, in current smokers, we looked at two variables, time from waking to first cigarette and difficulty not smoking for a day, that may align better with cigarette and food 'craving.' However, these smoking measures provided mixed findings with respect to their relationship with BMI. Overall, the positive relationships between the genetic factors that influence CPD in smokers and the genetic factors that influence BMI in former and never smokers point to common biological influences behind smoking and obesity.

Obesity, malnutrition, and trace element deficiency in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic: An overview

“…Notably, COPD and obesity share a common association with tobacco smoking, as obese individuals smoke more than the general population, with a number of cigarettes smoked per day correlated with elevated BMI and/or visceral adiposity [91] , [92] , [93] , [94] . In this regard, a common biological basis for the regulation of appetite for food and tobacco, and thus the vulnerability to obesity and nicotine addiction, has been suggested [95] , [96] , [97] .…”

Genetic and environmental factors underlying parallel changes in body mass index and alcohol consumption: a 36-year longitudinal study of adult twins

“…This genetic relationship, although weakly negative, extends insights gained in cross-sectional designs (14-15) to longitudinal settings. The nature of this genetic relationship remains undetermined, but could possibly be related to smoking, which is known to be causally associated with obesity (45-46) and alcohol consumption (14-15). Expanded research on this topic could further investigate the genetic relationship between BMI, weight change and longitudinal drinking behavior.…”

The Pathological Links between Adiposity and the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

“…In this study, common genetic variants predisposing to the intensity of smoking behavior and an increased BMI were identified. The influence of gender on this association is also inconsistent, with studies in which smoking influence predominated in women and others in which it was restricted only to men [ 116 , 121 ]. Although both smoking and female sex are well-known risk factors for CTS the interaction of these two is neglected, as it is for other pathologies [ 122 , 123 ].…”