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Grip strength is an important biomarker reflecting muscle strength, and depression is a psychiatric disorder all over the world. Several studies found a significant inverse association between grip strength and depression, and there is also evidence for common physiological mechanisms between them. We used twin data from Qingdao, China to calculate genetic correlations, and we performed a bivariate GWAS to explore potential SNPs, genes, and pathways in common between grip strength and depression. 139 pairs of Dizygotic twins were used for bivariate GWAS. VEAGSE2 and PASCAL software were used for gene-based analysis and pathway enrichment analysis, respectively. And the resulting SNPs were subjected to eQTL analysis and pleiotropy analysis. The genetic correlation coefficient between grip strength and depression was -0.41 (-0.96, -0.15). In SNP-based analysis, 7 SNPs exceeded the genome-wide significance level (P

Recently, new loci related to body mass index (BMI) or blood pressure (BP) have been identified respectively in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, limited studies focused on jointly associated genetic variance between systolic pressure (SBP), diastolic pressure (DBP) and BMI. Therefore, a bivariate twin study was performed to explore the genetic variants associated with BMI-SBP, BMI-DBP and SBP-DBP. A total of 380 twin pairs (137 dizygotic pairs and 243 monozygotic pairs) recruited from Qingdao Twin Registry system were used to access the genetic correlations (0.2108 for BMI-SBP, 0.2345 for BMI-DBP, and 0.6942 for SBP-DBP, respectively) by bivariate Cholesky decomposition model. Bivariate GWAS in 137 dizygotic pairs nominated 27 single identified 27 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) for BMI and SBP, 27 QTNs for BMI and DBP, and 25 QTNs for SBP and DBP with the suggestive P-value threshold of 1×10-5. After imputation, we found eight SNPs, one for both BMI-SBP and SBP-DBP, and eight for SBP-DBP, exceed significant statistic level. Expression quantitative trait loci analysis identified rs4794029 as new significant eQTL in tissues related to BMI and SBP. Also, we found 6 new significant eQTLs (rs4400367, rs10113750, rs11776003, rs3739327, rs55978930, and rs4794029) in tissues were related to SBP and DBP. Gene-based analysis identified nominally associated genes (P < 0.05) with BMI-SBP, BMI-DBP, and SBP-DBP, respectively, such as PHOSPHO1, GNGT2, KEAP1, and S1PR5. In the pathway analysis, we found some pathways associated with BMI-SBP, BMI-DBP and SBP-DBP, such as prion diseases, IL5 pathway, cyclin E associated events during G1/S transition, TGF beta signaling pathway, G βγ signaling through PI3Kγ, prolactin receptor signaling etc. These findings may enrich the results of genetic variants related to BMI and BP traits, and provide some evidences to future study the pathogenesis of hypertension and obesity in the northern Chinese population.

ObjectivesTo assess the associations of fresh fruit consumption and total physical activity with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality among Chinese adults who have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or hypertension.MethodsDuring 2004-08, the China Kadoorie Biobank study recruited 70,047 adults, aged 30-79 years, with physician-diagnosed stroke or transient ischaemic attack, ischemic heart disease, or hypertension. Information on diet and physical activity was collected using an interviewer-administered electronic questionnaire. Cox regression was used to yield hazard ratios (HRs) for the independent and joint associations of fresh fruit consumption and total physical activity with mortality.ResultsAt baseline, 32.9% of participants consumed fresh fruit regularly (i.e. >3 days/week) and the mean total physical activity were 15.8 (SD = 11.8) MET-hr/day. During ~7-years follow-up, 6569 deaths occurred with 3563 from CVD. Compared to participants with 16.53 MET-hr/day) was associated with about 40% lower mortality.ConclusionAmong Chinese adults with pre-existing vascular disease, higher physical activity and fruit consumption were both independently and jointly associated with lower mortality.