Synapse
⌘+K
Synapse
PulseExploreClubsResearchersJournals
Instagram
HomeClubsExplore
June 13, 2026Psychological MedicineOpen Access

Unravelling sex differences in the genetic architecture of anxiety

View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Authors

JHJihua HuMLMichelle K. LuptonEBEnda M. Byrne

Discussion

Loading...

Member takes

Overview

Meta-analysis reveals sex-specific genetic differences in anxiety disorders, emphasizing their distinct genetic markers.

Key Points

  • This research aims to identify sex differences in the genetic factors contributing to anxiety disorders.
  • Conducted a meta-analysis of GWAS using UK Biobank and All of Us datasets with 85,042 female and 36,732 male cases.
  • Performed functional annotation, polygenic score analysis, and genetic correlation assessments.
  • Identified associations using SNPs and gene-based tests for both sexes.
  • 21 lead SNPs significantly linked to anxiety in females compared to 5 in males.
  • Higher heritability for anxiety observed in females (2:1 female-to-male ratio).
  • Distinct gene associations were found for females and males, with unique correlations to conditions like ADHD and BMI.

Cite This Study

Hu et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a2cf5aefaef96ed7f0579f9https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291726104760
View Full Paper
Ask AI
Bookmark
Share

Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Genome-wide meta-analysis of quantitatively measured generalized anxiety symptoms in individuals of European ancestry2026 · 1 citations
  2. 2Gene Discovery and Biological Insights into Anxiety Disorders from a Multi-Ancestry Genome-wide Association Study of >1.2 Million Participants2024 · 8 citations
  3. 3Genome-wide association study of major anxiety disorders in 122,341 European-ancestry cases identifies 58 loci and highlights GABAergic signaling2026 · 22 citations
  4. 4Genome-wide association study of major anxiety disorders in 122,341 European-ancestry cases identifies 58 loci and highlights GABAergic signaling2024 · 27 citations
  5. 5Identification of novel genomic loci for anxiety symptoms and extensive genetic overlap with psychiatric disorders2024 · 10 citations