GWAS summary statistics for risk-taking

Risk-taking propensity is a trait of significant public health relevance but few specific genetic factors are known. Here we perform a genome-wide association study of self-reported risk-taking propensity amongst 436,236 white European UK Biobank study participants. We identify genome wide associations at 26 loci (P<5 x10-8), 24 of which are novel, implicating genes enriched in the GABA and GABA receptor pathways. Modelling the relationship between risk-taking propensity and BMI using Mendelian randomisation shows a positive association (0.25 approximate SDs of BMI (SE: 0.06); P =6.7 x10-5). The impact of individual SNPs is heterogeneous, indicating a complex relationship arising from multiple shared pathways. We identify positive genetic correlations between risk-taking and WHR, childhood obesity, ever-smoking, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, alongside a negative correlation with women's age at first birth. These findings highlight that behavioural pathways involved in risk-taking propensity may play a role in obesity, smoking, and psychiatric disorders