Genetic variants for personalised management of very low carbohydrate ketogenic diets

Abstract

The ketogenic diet (KD) is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat, adequate-protein diet proven to be effective for the reversal of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, and holding therapeutic potential for the prevention and treatment of other chronic diseases. Genetic and dynamic markers of KD response may help to identify individuals most likely to benefit from KD and point to individuals at higher risk for adverse health outcomes. Here, we provide a clinician-friendly review of state-of-the-art research on biomarkers of KD response for a variety of outcomes including weight loss, body composition and cognitive performance drawing data from both intervention trials and case reports of rare inborn errors of metabolism. We also present a selection of the most promising candidate genes to evaluate in future studies and discuss key aspects of study design and variant interpretation that may help accelerate the implementation of these biomarkers in clinical practice.