By Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D. Reviewed by Lauren Hardaker Feb 9 2026 A sweeping genetic analysis reveals when obesity is the common thread linking chronic diseases, and when other biology is to blame. Study: Genetics identifies obesity as a shared risk factor for co-occurring multiple long-term condition s. Image credit: MaskaRad/Shutterstock.com A recent study in  Communications Medicine completed a genetic analysis to determine whether body mass index ( BMI ) affects the shared genetic risks for