Associations between common genetic variants and income provide insights about the socio-economic health gradient

Hyeokmoon Kweon, Casper A. P. Burik, Yuchen Ning, Rafael Ahlskog, Charley Xia, Erik Abner, Yanchun Bao, Laxmi Bhatta, Tariq O. Faquih, Maud Feijter, Paul Fisher, Andrea Gelemanović, Alexandros Giannelis, Jouke-Jan Hottenga, Bita Khalili, Yunsung Lee, Ruifang Li-Gao, Jaan Masso (), Ronny Myhre, Teemu Palviainen, Cornelius A. Rietveld, Alexander Teumer, Renske M. Verweij, Emily A. Willoughby, Esben Agerbo, Sven Bergmann, Dorret I. Boomsma, Anders D. Børglum, Ben M. Brumpton, Neil Martin Davies, Tõnu Esko, Scott D. Gordon, Georg Homuth, M. Arfan Ikram, Magnus Johannesson, Jaakko Kaprio, Michael P. Kidd, Zoltán Kutalik, Alex S. F. Kwong, James J. Lee, Annemarie I. Luik, Per Magnus, Pedro Marques-Vidal, Nicholas G. Martin, Dennis O. Mook-Kanamori, Preben Bo Mortensen, Sven Oskarsson, Emil M. Pedersen, Ozren Polašek, Frits R. Rosendaal, Melissa C. Smart, Harold Snieder, Peter J. Most, Peter Vollenweider, Henry Völzke, Gonneke Willemsen, Jonathan P. Beauchamp, Thomas A. DiPrete, Richard Karlsson Linnér, Qiongshi Lu, Tim T. Morris, Aysu Okbay, K. Paige Harden, Abdel Abdellaoui (), W. David Hill (), Ronald Vlaming, Daniel J. Benjamin and Philipp D. Koellinger ()
Additional contact information
Hyeokmoon Kweon: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Casper A. P. Burik: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Yuchen Ning: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Rafael Ahlskog: Uppsala University
Charley Xia: University of Edinburgh
Erik Abner: University of Tartu
Yanchun Bao: University of Essex
Laxmi Bhatta: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Tariq O. Faquih: Leiden University Medical Center
Maud Feijter: Erasmus MC University Medical Center
Paul Fisher: University of Essex
Andrea Gelemanović: University of Split School of Medicine
Alexandros Giannelis: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Jouke-Jan Hottenga: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Bita Khalili: University of Lausanne
Yunsung Lee: Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Ruifang Li-Gao: Leiden University Medical Center
Ronny Myhre: Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Teemu Palviainen: University of Helsinki
Cornelius A. Rietveld: Erasmus University Rotterdam
Alexander Teumer: University Medicine Greifswald
Renske M. Verweij: Erasmus University Rotterdam
Emily A. Willoughby: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Esben Agerbo: Aarhus University
Sven Bergmann: University of Lausanne
Dorret I. Boomsma: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Anders D. Børglum: Aarhus University
Ben M. Brumpton: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Neil Martin Davies: Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Tõnu Esko: University of Tartu
Scott D. Gordon: Queensland Institute of Medical Research
Georg Homuth: University Medicine Greifswald
M. Arfan Ikram: Erasmus MC University Medical Center
Jaakko Kaprio: University of Helsinki
Michael P. Kidd: RMIT University
Zoltán Kutalik: University of Lausanne
Alex S. F. Kwong: University of Bristol
James J. Lee: University of Minnesota Twin Cities
Annemarie I. Luik: Erasmus MC University Medical Center
Per Magnus: Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Pedro Marques-Vidal: Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV)
Nicholas G. Martin: University of Bristol
Dennis O. Mook-Kanamori: Erasmus MC University Medical Center
Preben Bo Mortensen: Aarhus University
Sven Oskarsson: Uppsala University
Emil M. Pedersen: Aarhus University
Ozren Polašek: University of Split School of Medicine
Frits R. Rosendaal: Leiden University Medical Center
Melissa C. Smart: University of Essex
Harold Snieder: University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen
Peter J. Most: University of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen
Peter Vollenweider: Trimbos Institute—Netherlands Institute for Mental Health and Addiction
Henry Völzke: University Medicine Greifswald
Gonneke Willemsen: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Jonathan P. Beauchamp: George Mason University
Thomas A. DiPrete: Columbia University
Richard Karlsson Linnér: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Qiongshi Lu: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Tim T. Morris: University College London
Aysu Okbay: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
K. Paige Harden: University of Texas at Austin
Abdel Abdellaoui: University of Amsterdam
W. David Hill: University of Edinburgh
Ronald Vlaming: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Daniel J. Benjamin: University of California, Los Angeles
Philipp D. Koellinger: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Nature Human Behaviour, 2025, vol. 9, issue 4, 794-805

Abstract: Abstract We conducted a genome-wide association study on income among individuals of European descent (N = 668,288) to investigate the relationship between socio-economic status and health disparities. We identified 162 genomic loci associated with a common genetic factor underlying various income measures, all with small effect sizes (the Income Factor). Our polygenic index captures 1–5% of income variance, with only one fourth due to direct genetic effects. A phenome-wide association study using this index showed reduced risks for diseases including hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes, depression, asthma and back pain. The Income Factor had a substantial genetic correlation (0.92, s.e. = 0.006) with educational attainment. Accounting for the genetic overlap of educational attainment with income revealed that the remaining genetic signal was linked to better mental health but reduced physical health and increased risky behaviours such as drinking and smoking. These findings highlight the complex genetic influences on income and health.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-02080-7

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