Despite higher body mass index (BMI) in adulthood being widely acknowledged as protective for bone mineral density (BMD), the effect of childhood BMI on adult BMD remains inconclusive. This study aims to elucidate the shared genetic basis underlying childhood BMI and adult heel estimated BMD (eBMD). We conducted a comprehensive genome-wide cross-trait analysis to determine the genetic correlations, pleiotropic loci, and causal relationships between childhood BMI and adult eBMD. Summary statistics were collected from the hitherto largest available genome-wide association studies conducted for childhood BMI (N = 62,026) and adult eBMD (N = 426,824) of European individuals. A significant positive overall genetic correlation was observed for childhood BMI and adult eBMD (rg = 0.09, P = 4.00 × 10-4), which was supported by the significant local signal observed in one genomic region (5q21.3). The shared genetic basis was further emphasized by 55 pleiotropic loci identified through the cross-trait meta-analysis, 11 shared gene-tissue pairs observed in transcriptome-wide association study, and a robust causal relationship demonstrated by Mendelian randomization (β = 0.12, 95 %CIs = 0.06-0.18). Our work highlights the substantial shared genetic influence and putative causal link underlying childhood BMI and mid-to-late life eBMD, offering new avenues for personalized prevention strategies against osteoporosis. Not applicable.
Xia et al. (Mon,) studied this question.