GWAS identifies 14 loci for device-measured physical activity and sleep duration

Abstract

Physical activity and sleep duration are established risk factors for many diseases, but their aetiology is poorly understood, partly due to relying on self-reported evidence. Here we report a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of device-measured physical activity and sleep duration in 91,105 UK Biobank participants, finding 14 significant loci (7 novel). These loci account for 0.06% of activity and 0.39% of sleep duration variation. Genome-wide estimates of ~ 15% phenotypic variation indicate high polygenicity. Heritability is higher in women than men for overall activity (23 vs. 20%, p = 1.5 × 10 ⁻⁴) and sedentary behaviours (18 vs. 15%, p = 9.7 × 10 ⁻⁴). Heritability partitioning, enrichment and pathway analyses indicate the central nervous system plays a role in activity behaviours. Two-sample Mendelian randomisation suggests that increased activity might causally lower diastolic blood pressure (beta mmHg/SD: −0.91, SE = 0.18, p = 8.2 × 10 ⁻⁷), and odds of hypertension (Odds ratio/SD: 0.84, SE = 0.03, p = 4.9 × 10 ⁻⁸). Our results advocate the value of physical activity for reducing blood pressure.

Abstract

Studying the genetic underpinnings of physical activity and sleep duration can be confounded by self-reporting. Here, Doherty et al. use data from 91,105 UK Biobank participants, whose activity had been monitored for a week by a wearable device, for genome-wide association analysis and identify 14 loci.