The Association Between Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Related Methylation Risk Scores in Patients Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality in the United States, with metabolic syndrome (MetS) as a potential precursor to cardiometabolic diseases. Identifying individuals at risk of CVD or MetS is crucial for implementing timely interventions. Methylation risk scores (MRS) may be able to serve as an effective predictor for future disease risk. Here, we investigate the association between cardiometabolic risk factors and related metabolic risk scores, CVD methylation risk score and MetS methylation risk score, in patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Results from 131 patients undergoing IVF reveal associations between the methylation risk scores and cardiometabolic risk factors; however, associations were often weakly correlated. MetS methylation risk score was associated with BMI, blood pressure, triglycerides, and HgA1c. CVD methylation risk score was also associated with BMI, blood pressure, HDL-c, and fasting glucose. A strength of this study is that the cohort is racially diverse for an in-vitro fertilization cohort. Despite limitations such as sample size constraints and missing data, findings underscore the potential of MRS as a tool for early detection and intervention in cardiometabolic disorders, particularly among IVF patients. However, further validation of the MRS score is needed in studies with larger cohorts. 

Table of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………...1

Materials and Methods………………………………………………………….........5

a.    Recruitment……………………………………………………………................5

b.    Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria……………………………………………………..5

c.    Blood Clot Processing…………………………………………………...............6

d.    Purification of DNA from whole clotted blood…………………………...….6

e.    Statistical Analysis………………………………………………………………....6

Results…………………………………………………………………………...............8

a.    Demographics……………………………………………………………….....…...8

b.    Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Related Methylation Risk Scores Analysis…9

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………....11

Figures and Tables……………………………………………………………………….15

References………………………………………………………………………………...22

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Biology
Degree	B.S.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Health Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology Biology, Genetics
Parola chiave	Epigenetics, Methylation Risk Scores, Cardiovascular Disease, Metabolic Syndrome, Cardiometabolic Risk Factors, Infertility, IVF, in-vitro fertilization
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Anna Knight, PhD, Emory University
Committee Members	Jessica Spencer, MD, MSc, Emory University Iain Shepherd, PhD, Emory University

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