INVESTIGATING THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ON LEVELS OF GLYCOPROTEIN ACETYLS

Abstract

Levels of biomarkers in the blood have been known to signal whether abnormal or normal processes are occurring in the body. Glycoprotein acetyls are a relatively new inflammatory biomarker that has been linked to early cardiovascular disease and other inflammatory diseases. Understanding the relationship of glycoprotein acetyls with certain exposures can help inform us of ways to lower inflammatory disease risk. In this study, physical activity was investigated as the exposure. Summary statistics from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of self-reported and wrist-worn devices from the UK Biobank were used. We found that physical activity and levels of glycoprotein acetyls had an inverse relationship, such that higher levels of genetically-predicted physical activity were correlated with lower levels of glycoprotein acetyls. Identifying this relationship expands our understanding of how physical activity can affect health. This information can allow us to utilize physical activity as a preventative health measure, and to lower risks of inflammatory and cardiovascular disease.