A major role for common genetic variation in anxiety disorders

• Published in: Molecular psychiatry Vol. 25; no. 12; pp. 3292 - 3303
• Main Authors: Purves, Kirstin L., Coleman, Jonathan R. I., Meier, Sandra M., Rayner, Christopher, Davis, Katrina A. S., Cheesman, Rosa, Bækvad-Hansen, Marie, Børglum, Anders D., Wan Cho, Shing, Jürgen Deckert, J., Gaspar, Héléna A., Bybjerg-Grauholm, Jonas, Hettema, John M., Hotopf, Matthew, Hougaard, David, Hübel, Christopher, Kan, Carol, McIntosh, Andrew M., Mors, Ole, Bo Mortensen, Preben, Nordentoft, Merete, Werge, Thomas, Nicodemus, Kristin K., Mattheisen, Manuel, Breen, Gerome, Eley, Thalia C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.12.2020; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 45/43; 631/208; 631/477; Anxiety; Anxiety disorders; Anxiety Disorders - genetics; Behavioral Sciences; Biological Psychology; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Cardiovascular disease; Chromosome 9; Coronary artery; Development and progression; Epidemiology; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; Genetic Predisposition to Disease - genetics; Genetic variation; Genetic Variation - genetics; Genome-wide association studies; Genome-Wide Association Study; Genomes; Heart diseases; Heritability; Humans; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental disorders; Neurosciences; Neurosis; Neuroticism; Pharmacotherapy; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide - genetics; Psychiatric research; Psychiatry; Sleep disorders; United Kingdom
• ISSN: 1359-4184; 1476-5578; 1476-5578
• DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0559-1

Anxiety disorders are common, complex psychiatric disorders with twin heritabilities of 30–60%. We conducted a genome-wide association study of Lifetime Anxiety Disorder ( n case  = 25 453, n control  = 58 113) and an additional analysis of Current Anxiety Symptoms ( n case  = 19 012, n control  = 58 113). The liability scale common variant heritability estimate for Lifetime Anxiety Disorder was 26%, and for Current Anxiety Symptoms was 31%. Five novel genome-wide significant loci were identified including an intergenic region on chromosome 9 that has previously been associated with neuroticism, and a locus overlapping the BDNF receptor gene, NTRK2 . Anxiety showed significant positive genetic correlations with depression and insomnia as well as coronary artery disease, mirroring findings from epidemiological studies. We conclude that common genetic variation accounts for a substantive proportion of the genetic architecture underlying anxiety.