Integrative Analysis of Proteomic Profiles and Genome-Wide Association in Metabolically Healthy and Unhealthy Obese Subjects: A Cross-Sectional Study from Qatar Biobank

According to the latest report from Qatar Biobank, approximately 78% of the participants (n=37,000) are affected by overweight or obesity. Notably, only 32.1% of these individuals have diabetes or prediabetes. Consequently, a significant proportion of overweight or obese individuals are free from diabetes and are classified as metabolically healthy obese (MHO). Similarly, a large proportion of MHO subjects are free of other cardiometabolic diseases such as hypertension or dyslipidemia. Extensive studies have demonstrated that MHO individuals exhibit lower rates of all-cause mortality and a reduced risk of cardiometabolic diseases compared to their metabolically unhealthy obese (MUO) counterparts, thereby attracting considerable interest within the medical and scientific communities. Nevertheless, the protective mechanisms underlying the MHO phenotype remain largely unknown. From a clinical perspective, a thorough understanding of the MHO phenotype is crucial for stratifying individuals to treat obesity and its associated comorbidities. This understanding could facilitate the identification of unique protective mechanisms that may be employed to prevent or mitigate the risk of cardiometabolic diseases in MUO individuals. Given the high prevalence of obesity, the risk of cardiometabolic diseases in Qatar is substantial, posing a significant burden on society. However, the prevalence of the MHO phenotype and its protective mechanisms against cardiometabolic diseases have not yet been investigated within the Qatari population.

Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)