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The following is a summary of “FTO and NOS3 genes associated with pediatric obesity: Corações de Ouro Preto study,” published in the March 2025 issue of BMC Pediatrics by Batista et al. 

Obesity is a global epidemic affecting children and adolescents. Genetic markers like single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in alpha-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (FTO), endothelial nitric oxide (NOS3) and apolipoprotein B (APOB) may contribute, interacting with environmental factors. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the association of SNPs in FTO (rs1121980), NOS3 (rs1799983), and APOB (rs693) with obesity in Brazilian children and adolescents. They also analyzed the combined influence of significant SNPs and clinical risk factors in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais. 

They conducted a cross-sectional study with 6–17-year-old students in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, from April to December 2021, evaluating sociodemographic, clinical, and biochemical variables. SNPs rs1121980 (FTO), rs1799983 (NOS3), and rs693 (APOB) were analyzed for obesity associations. 

The results showed a high obesity prevalence of 8.5%. Homozygotes for risk alleles in the FTO (AA) and NOS3 (TT) genes had more than a twofold increased likelihood of obesity [OR: 2.07 (CI: 1.02–4.20) and 2.49 (CI: 1.08–5.73), respectively]. The same alleles, combined with clinical risk factors, were linked to a significantly higher chance of early obesity. 

Investigators found that SNP rs1121980 in the FTO gene and rs1799983 in the NOS3 gene influenced obesity occurrence in Brazilian children and adolescents living in urban areas. 

Source: bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887-025-05570-3