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To identify genetic variants influencing plasma lipid concentrations, we first used genotype imputation and meta-analysis to combine three genome-wide scans totaling 8,816 individuals and comprising 6,068 individuals specific to our study (1,874 individuals from the FUSION study of type 2 diabetes and 4,184 individuals from the SardiNIA study of aging-associated variables) and 2,758 individuals from the Diabetes Genetics Initiative, reported in a companion study in this issue. We subsequently examined promising signals in 11,569 additional individuals.

Overall, we identify strongly associated variants:

Notably, the 11 independent variants associated with increased LDL cholesterol concentrations in our study also showed increased frequency in a sample of coronary artery disease cases versus controls. [Additionally, “we did not find that variants influencing your good cholesterol (HDL) were associated with decreased risk of coronary artery disease,” according to study co-director Goncalo Abecasis.]

Source: Nature Genetics. Online Jan 13, 2008. DOI:10.1038/ng.76, by Abecasis GR, Mohlke KL,et al. Department of Genetics, Center for Statistical Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. [E-mail: goncalo@umich.edu]