Association of the common FTO-rs9939609 polymorphism with type 2 diabetes, independent of obesity-related traits in a Vietnamese population.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a complex disorder resulting from both genetic and environmental factors in its pathogenesis. A case-control study was designed with subjects recruited from a general population to investigate whether the association between T2D and the common T>A polymorphism (rs9939609) in fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene is mediated by obesity-related measurements, considering the contribution of socio-economic status and lifestyle factors. The significant association between the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism and T2D was first observed in the model unadjusted (OR per A allele=1.61, 95% CI=1.06-2.44, P=0.024). It remained consistently replicated in the final model after adjustments for sex, age, systolic blood pressure, socio-economic status, lifestyle factors, and obesity-related measurements (body mass index, waist-hip ratio, body fat percentage, and body adiposity index), showing an increased T2D risk with an additive effect of the alleles (ORs per A allele=1.80-1.92, 95% CI=1.09-3.19, P<0.05). The FTO-rs9939609 polymorphism, systolic blood pressure, and waist-hip ratio were the most significant independent predictors for T2D, in which the power of the adjusted prediction model was 0.769. In conclusion, the study suggested that the FTO-rs9939609 polymorphism was significantly associated with the increased risk of T2D, independent of obesity-related measurements in a Vietnamese population.