Endocrinology ·
Genetic analysis links GIPR pathway to healthier dietary preferences
A two-sample drug-target Mendelian randomization study examined genetic proxies for GLP-1R and GIPR activation across 19 behavioral outcomes. The strongest findings linked the GIPR–BMI pathway with lower fatty-food liking and higher preferences for vegetables, fruit and whole grains; these results do not establish effects of drug treatment.
- GIPR–BMI genetic proxies tracked with healthier food preferences.
- Fatty-food liking was lower in the meta-analysis.
- Other behavioral signals were exploratory and lacked colocalization support.
Researchers used cis-genetic variants associated with HbA1c and BMI from two independent GWAS datasets as proxies for GLP-1R and GIPR activation. They assessed 19 outcomes spanning dietary preferences, substance use, physical activity, sleep and mood, using primary and replication cohorts, meta-analysis, eQTL-based Mendelian randomization and colocalization analyses. The source does not report participant counts.
The most consistent associations involved the GIPR–BMI pathway. In meta-analysis, the odds of liking fatty foods were lower (OR 0.502, 95% CI 0.417–0.605), while the odds of liking vegetables (OR 1.331, 1.212–1.461), fruit (OR 1.620, 1.431–1.833) and whole-grain cereals (OR 1.680, 1.362–2.073) were higher. These findings were supported by directionality testing, eQTL-based analyses and colocalization at the GIPR locus.
Other signals, including possible associations with depression and smoking dependency, were exploratory and lacked colocalization support. The findings concern genetic proxies and dietary preferences, not observed responses to GLP-1R or GIPR agonist treatment; they therefore do not show that these medicines change eating behavior or justify a clinical practice change.
Is this summary clinically accurate?
Help fellow clinicians: your rating sends inaccurate summaries straight to our editors.
Sign in to rate this summary →Source
BMC Medicine: GIPR and GLP-1R agonism as potential behavioral catalysts: a drug-target Mendelian randomization study ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.