Moshgat, Nicholas T
(2024)
INVESTIGATING GENETIC ADMIXTURE AND SARCOPENIC CHANGE:
AN ANALYSIS OF PHYSICAL FUNCTION PHENOTYPES IN
AFRO-CARIBBEAN MEN.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
The global population is undergoing a significant demographic shift characterized by an increasing number of elderly individuals, a trend also observed within Afro-Caribbean communities. With aging comes the onset of sarcopenia, a condition marked by the gradual decline in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and functionality. This deterioration in physical condition leads to reduced mobility, heightened susceptibility to fall-related injuries, and a diminished quality of life for older adults. Previous research has explored the relationship between African ancestry and various health traits, although interpretation of this relationship should be approached with caution. Social determinants of health are often the result of systemic racism, and therefore associations with genetic ancestry might indeed be associations with those social determinants of health. In this study, I investigate the correlation between ancestry and sarcopenia by examining the relationship between admixture and physical function indicators—grip strength, whole-body lean mass, and whole-body fat mass—in 1,189 individuals participating in the Tobago Health Study (THS), who are Tobagonian men age 40+ and of African descent. Phenotype measurements were taken at an initial baseline exam and a follow-up exam roughly a decade later, and participants were genotyped at a set of 111 ancestry informative markers. Genotypes from the 1000 Genomes Project (1KGP) were used as a reference in a principal component analysis to visualize where the THS participants clustered relative to individuals in the 1KGP defined superpopulations. As expected, THS participants clustered closest to the AFR superpopulation. Admixture was calculated as the Euclidean distance from each Tobagonian individual to the centroid of the AFR individuals. Upon regressing the physical function indicators on this measure of admixture, statistical significance was not observed, and there is no evidence that ancestry is a predictor of sarcopenic changes in this sample. This research has the potential to contribute to improving health outcomes and enhancement of quality of life for aging individuals, particularly in elucidating disparities in disease prevalence and treatment responses across diverse population groups. More studies that integrate population genetics with measures of physical function could identify findings with significant implications for public health.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
|
| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
| Creators | Email | Pitt Username | ORCID  |
|---|
| Moshgat, Nicholas T | ntm19@pitt.edu | ntm19 | |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
16 May 2024 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
18 April 2024 |
| Approval Date: |
16 May 2024 |
| Submission Date: |
25 April 2024 |
| Access Restriction: |
2 year -- Restrict access to University of Pittsburgh for a period of 2 years. |
| Number of Pages: |
83 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
School of Public Health > Human Genetics |
| Degree: |
MS - Master of Science |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Sarcopenia
Physical Function
Tobago
Aging
Admixture
1000 Genomes Project
Afro-Caribbean
Principal Component Analysis |
| Date Deposited: |
16 May 2024 19:52 |
| Last Modified: |
16 May 2024 19:52 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/46288 |
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