The headline from the largest genetic study of human energy metabolism ever run was a single rare gene, FNIP1, whose carriers appear substantially protected against heart and metabolic disease. Underneath that finding sits a set of results that got far less attention, including a measurement choice that reframes what the study is actually about and one gene whose effect was noticeably stronger in women.
The analysis, published in Nature on August 5, 2026, sequenced the protein-coding DNA of 1,032,116 people across 11 cohorts in North America, Europe, and Asia. It was led by the Regeneron Genetics Center.
