Fig. 2.

The fat mass- and obesity-associated gene, FTO, is associated with adiposity (A), longitudinal changes in brain function (B), and impulsivity and dietary patterns (C) during aging. A: we first tested whether FTO genotype (rs1421085 single nucleotide polymorphism; obesity-risk allele-C) influenced trajectories of adiposity during aging in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). BMI, body mass index. B: we then examined the association between FTO genotype and longitudinal changes in brain function, measured by serial resting state cerebral blood flow (rCBF) through ¹⁵O-water PET imaging in the neuroimaging substudy of the BLSA (BLSA-NI). C: finally, based on our longitudinal rCBF results implicating brain regions involved in impulse control and taste responsiveness to food, we tested whether FTO genotype influenced longitudinal changes in impulsivity and macronutrient intake patterns during aging. [Reproduced from Chuang et al. (13) with permission.]