Several studies reported associations of the lactase gene (LCT) polymorphism -13910C>T (rs4988235) with obesity-related variables and obesity in adults.
We investigated the association of milk intake with obesity and BP using genetically-defined lactase persistence (LP) based on the rs4988235 polymorphism in a Mendelian randomization design in the 1982 Pelotas (Southern Brazil) Birth Cohort.
In 97,811 individuals from the Danish general population, we examined the risk of incident type 2 diabetes and of overweight-obesity by milk intake observationally and by LCT-13910 C/T genotype [polymorphism (rs4988235) upstream from the lactase (LCT) gene], where TT and TC genotypes are associated with lactase persistence and CC with nonpersistence.
The -13910C>T polymorphism (rs4988235) upstream from the lactase (LCT) gene, strongly associated with lactase persistence (LP) in Europeans, is emerging as a new candidate for obesity.