A girl’s genetics can influence when she has her first period About half of the genetics influence puberty by accelerating weight gain Researchers developed a genetic risk score for early puberty based on their genetic analysis TUESDAY, July 2, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- A girl’s genetics can indirectly influence the age when she has her first period, by accelerating her weight gain in childhood, a new study finds. A number of other genes also can directly affect the age of puberty, some with profound effects, researchers added. More than 1,000 genetic variants are tied to the age of a girl’s first menstrual period, researchers discovered by analyzing the genes of about 800,000 women.
About 600 of these variants were observed for the first time in this study. A girl can have up to 14-fold higher risk of early puberty if her genetics line up that way, according to a genetic risk score researchers created from their findings. “This is the first time we’ve ever been able to analyze rare genetic variants at this scale,” said lead researcher Katherine Kentistou , a senior research associate with the University of Cambridge’s Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit.
“We have identified six genes which all profoundly affect the timing of puberty,” she said in a news release. “While these genes were discovered in girls, they often have the same impact on the timing of puberty in boys. The new mechanisms we describe could form the basis of interventions for indivi.
