title: Common genetic variants explain the majority of the correlation between height and intelligence: the generation Scotland study.
abstract: Greater height and higher intelligence test scores are predictors of better health outcomes. Here, we used molecular (single-nucleotide polymorphism) data to estimate the genetic correlation between height and general intelligence (g) in 6,815 unrelated subjects (median age 57, IQR 49-63) from the Generation Scotland: Scottish Family Health Study cohort. The phenotypic correlation between height and g was 0.16 (SE 0.01). The genetic correlation between height and g was 0.28 (SE 0.09) with a bivariate heritability estimate of 0.71. Understanding the molecular basis of the correlation between height and intelligence may help explain any shared role in determining health outcomes. This study identified a modest genetic correlation between height and intelligence with the majority of the phenotypic correlation being explained by shared genetic influences.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9JZ, UK, riccardo.marioni@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Riccardo E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Marioni
authors.forename: G David
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Batty
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: Shona M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Archie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Lynne J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Hocking
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Porteous
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Visscher
authors.forename: Ian J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Deary
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001827:Body Height / Q000235:genetics*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D010641:Phenotype; D012606:Scotland