7 results
The CODATwins Project: The Current Status and Recent Findings of COllaborative Project of Development of Anthropometrical Measures in Twins
- K. Silventoinen, A. Jelenkovic, Y. Yokoyama, R. Sund, M. Sugawara, M. Tanaka, S. Matsumoto, L. H. Bogl, D. L. Freitas, J. A. Maia, J. v. B. Hjelmborg, S. Aaltonen, M. Piirtola, A. Latvala, L. Calais-Ferreira, V. C. Oliveira, P. H. Ferreira, F. Ji, F. Ning, Z. Pang, J. R. Ordoñana, J. F. Sánchez-Romera, L. Colodro-Conde, S. A. Burt, K. L. Klump, N. G. Martin, S. E. Medland, G. W. Montgomery, C. Kandler, T. A. McAdams, T. C. Eley, A. M. Gregory, K. J. Saudino, L. Dubois, M. Boivin, M. Brendgen, G. Dionne, F. Vitaro, A. D. Tarnoki, D. L. Tarnoki, C. M. A. Haworth, R. Plomin, S. Y. Öncel, F. Aliev, E. Medda, L. Nisticò, V. Toccaceli, J. M. Craig, R. Saffery, S. H. Siribaddana, M. Hotopf, A. Sumathipala, F. Rijsdijk, H.-U. Jeong, T. Spector, M. Mangino, G. Lachance, M. Gatz, D. A. Butler, W. Gao, C. Yu, L. Li, G. Bayasgalan, D. Narandalai, K. P. Harden, E. M. Tucker-Drob, K. Christensen, A. Skytthe, K. O. Kyvik, C. A. Derom, R. F. Vlietinck, R. J. F. Loos, W. Cozen, A. E. Hwang, T. M. Mack, M. He, X. Ding, J. L. Silberg, H. H. Maes, T. L. Cutler, J. L. Hopper, P. K. E. Magnusson, N. L. Pedersen, A. K. Dahl Aslan, L. A. Baker, C. Tuvblad, M. Bjerregaard-Andersen, H. Beck-Nielsen, M. Sodemann, V. Ullemar, C. Almqvist, Q. Tan, D. Zhang, G. E. Swan, R. Krasnow, K. L. Jang, A. Knafo-Noam, D. Mankuta, L. Abramson, P. Lichtenstein, R. F. Krueger, M. McGue, S. Pahlen, P. Tynelius, F. Rasmussen, G. E. Duncan, D. Buchwald, R. P. Corley, B. M. Huibregtse, T. L. Nelson, K. E. Whitfield, C. E. Franz, W. S. Kremen, M. J. Lyons, S. Ooki, I. Brandt, T. S. Nilsen, J. R. Harris, J. Sung, H. A. Park, J. Lee, S. J. Lee, G. Willemsen, M. Bartels, C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, C. H. Llewellyn, A. Fisher, E. Rebato, A. Busjahn, R. Tomizawa, F. Inui, M. Watanabe, C. Honda, N. Sakai, Y.-M. Hur, T. I. A. Sørensen, D. I. Boomsma, J. Kaprio
-
- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 22 / Issue 6 / December 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 31 July 2019, pp. 800-808
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- HTML
- Export citation
-
The COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins) project is a large international collaborative effort to analyze individual-level phenotype data from twins in multiple cohorts from different environments. The main objective is to study factors that modify genetic and environmental variation of height, body mass index (BMI, kg/m2) and size at birth, and additionally to address other research questions such as long-term consequences of birth size. The project started in 2013 and is open to all twin projects in the world having height and weight measures on twins with information on zygosity. Thus far, 54 twin projects from 24 countries have provided individual-level data. The CODATwins database includes 489,981 twin individuals (228,635 complete twin pairs). Since many twin cohorts have collected longitudinal data, there is a total of 1,049,785 height and weight observations. For many cohorts, we also have information on birth weight and length, own smoking behavior and own or parental education. We found that the heritability estimates of height and BMI systematically changed from infancy to old age. Remarkably, only minor differences in the heritability estimates were found across cultural–geographic regions, measurement time and birth cohort for height and BMI. In addition to genetic epidemiological studies, we looked at associations of height and BMI with education, birth weight and smoking status. Within-family analyses examined differences within same-sex and opposite-sex dizygotic twins in birth size and later development. The CODATwins project demonstrates the feasibility and value of international collaboration to address gene-by-exposure interactions that require large sample sizes and address the effects of different exposures across time, geographical regions and socioeconomic status.
Resurgence of Vector-Borne and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases in Venezuela in Times of a Complex Humanitarian Health Crisis: A Regional Menace
- Adriana Tami, Maria Eugenia Grillet, Alberto Paniz-Mondolfi, José Oletta, Martin S Llewellyn, Juan V Hernández-Villena, Marilianna Márquez, on behalf of the working group on emerging and re-emerging diseases in Venezuela
-
- Journal:
- Prehospital and Disaster Medicine / Volume 34 / Issue s1 / May 2019
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 06 May 2019, pp. s5-s6
- Print publication:
- May 2019
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- Export citation
-
Introduction:
Venezuela has plunged into a humanitarian, economic, and health crisis of extraordinary proportions. This complex situation is derived from dismantling of structures at the institutional, legal, political, social, and economic level affecting the life and wellbeing of the entire population.
Aim:This study aims to assess the impact of Venezuela’s healthcare crisis on vector-borne and vaccine-preventable diseases and the spillover to neighboring countries.
Methods:Since October 2014, there is a paucity of official epidemiological information in Venezuela. An active search of published and unpublished data was performed. Venezuela and Latin America data were sourced from PAHO Malaria Surveillance and from Observatorio Venezolano de la Salud. Brazil and Colombian data were accessed via their respective Ministries of Health.
Results:Economic and political mismanagement have precipitated a general collapse of Venezuela’s health system with hyperinflation rates above 45,000%, people impoverishment, and long-term shortages of essential medicines and medical supplies. In this context, the rapid resurgence of previously well-controlled diseases, such as vaccine-preventable (measles, diphtheria) and arthropod-borne (malaria, dengue) diseases has turned them into epidemics of unprecedented magnitudes. Between 2000-2015 Venezuela witnessed a 365% increase in malaria cases followed by a 68% increase (319,765 cases) in late 2017. The latest figures have surpassed 600,000 malaria cases with a prediction to reach 1 million by the end of 2018. Measles and diphtheria have recently re-emerged after a progressive interruption of the national immunization program, with vulnerable indigenous population being particularly affected. In response to Venezuela’s rapidly decaying situation, a massive population exodus is ongoing towards neighboring countries causing a spillover of diseases.
Discussion:Action to halt the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases within Venezuela is a matter of urgency for the country and the region. Global and hemispheric health authorities should urge the Venezuelan government to allow establishing a humanitarian channel to bring relief.
Education in Twins and Their Parents Across Birth Cohorts Over 100 years: An Individual-Level Pooled Analysis of 42-Twin Cohorts
- Karri Silventoinen, Aline Jelenkovic, Antti Latvala, Reijo Sund, Yoshie Yokoyama, Vilhelmina Ullemar, Catarina Almqvist, Catherine A. Derom, Robert F. Vlietinck, Ruth J. F. Loos, Christian Kandler, Chika Honda, Fujio Inui, Yoshinori Iwatani, Mikio Watanabe, Esther Rebato, Maria A. Stazi, Corrado Fagnani, Sonia Brescianini, Yoon-Mi Hur, Hoe-Uk Jeong, Tessa L. Cutler, John L. Hopper, Andreas Busjahn, Kimberly J. Saudino, Fuling Ji, Feng Ning, Zengchang Pang, Richard J. Rose, Markku Koskenvuo, Kauko Heikkilä, Wendy Cozen, Amie E. Hwang, Thomas M. Mack, Sisira H. Siribaddana, Matthew Hotopf, Athula Sumathipala, Fruhling Rijsdijk, Joohon Sung, Jina Kim, Jooyeon Lee, Sooji Lee, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Qihua Tan, Dongfeng Zhang, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, Sarah E. Medland, Nicholas G. Martin, Grant W. Montgomery, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Robin P. Corley, Brooke M. Huibregtse, Sevgi Y. Öncel, Fazil Aliev, Robert F. Krueger, Matt McGue, Shandell Pahlen, Gonneke Willemsen, Meike Bartels, Catharina E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Judy L. Silberg, Lindon J. Eaves, Hermine H. Maes, Jennifer R. Harris, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas S. Nilsen, Finn Rasmussen, Per Tynelius, Laura A. Baker, Catherine Tuvblad, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, Margaret Gatz, David A. Butler, Paul Lichtenstein, Jack H. Goldberg, K. Paige Harden, Elliot M. Tucker-Drob, Glen E. Duncan, Dedra Buchwald, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Carol E. Franz, William S. Kremen, Michael J. Lyons, José A. Maia, Duarte L. Freitas, Eric Turkheimer, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Dorret I. Boomsma, Jaakko Kaprio
-
- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 20 / Issue 5 / October 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 04 October 2017, pp. 395-405
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- HTML
- Export citation
-
Whether monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins differ from each other in a variety of phenotypes is important for genetic twin modeling and for inferences made from twin studies in general. We analyzed whether there were differences in individual, maternal and paternal education between MZ and DZ twins in a large pooled dataset. Information was gathered on individual education for 218,362 adult twins from 27 twin cohorts (53% females; 39% MZ twins), and on maternal and paternal education for 147,315 and 143,056 twins respectively, from 28 twin cohorts (52% females; 38% MZ twins). Together, we had information on individual or parental education from 42 twin cohorts representing 19 countries. The original education classifications were transformed to education years and analyzed using linear regression models. Overall, MZ males had 0.26 (95% CI [0.21, 0.31]) years and MZ females 0.17 (95% CI [0.12, 0.21]) years longer education than DZ twins. The zygosity difference became smaller in more recent birth cohorts for both males and females. Parental education was somewhat longer for fathers of DZ twins in cohorts born in 1990–1999 (0.16 years, 95% CI [0.08, 0.25]) and 2000 or later (0.11 years, 95% CI [0.00, 0.22]), compared with fathers of MZ twins. The results show that the years of both individual and parental education are largely similar in MZ and DZ twins. We suggest that the socio-economic differences between MZ and DZ twins are so small that inferences based upon genetic modeling of twin data are not affected.
Hosts and vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing units in the Chagas disease endemic region of the Paraguayan Chaco
- NIDIA ACOSTA, ELSA LÓPEZ, MICHAEL D. LEWIS, MARTIN S. LLEWELLYN, ANA GÓMEZ, FABIOLA ROMÁN, MICHAEL A. MILES, MATTHEW YEO
-
- Journal:
- Parasitology / Volume 144 / Issue 7 / June 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 09 February 2017, pp. 884-898
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- Open access
- HTML
- Export citation
-
Active Trypanosoma cruzi transmission persists in the Gran Chaco region, which is considered hyperendemic for Chagas disease. Understanding domestic and sylvatic transmission cycles and therefore the relationship between vectors and mammalian hosts is crucial to designing and implementing improved effective control strategies. Here we describe the species of triatomine vectors and the sylvatic mammal reservoirs of T. cruzi, in different localities of the Paraguayan and Bolivian Chaco. We identify the T. cruzi genotypes discrete typing units (DTUs) and provide a map of their geographical distribution. A total of 1044 triatomines and 138 sylvatic mammals were captured. Five per cent of the triatomines were microscopically positive for T. cruzi (55 Triatoma infestans from Paraguay and one sylvatic Triatoma guasayana from Bolivia) and 17 animals (12·3%) comprising eight of 28 (28·5%) Dasypus novemcinctus, four of 27 (14·8%) Euphractus sexcinctus, three of 64 (4·7%) Chaetophractus spp. and two of 14 (14·3%) Didelphis albiventris. The most common DTU infecting domestic triatomine bugs was TcV (64%), followed by TcVI (28%), TcII (6·5%) and TcIII (1·5%). TcIII was overwhelmingly associated with armadillo species. We confirm the primary role of T. infestans in domestic transmission, armadillo species as the principal sylvatic hosts of TcIII, and consider the potential risk of TcIII as an agent of Chagas disease in the Chaco.
Twin's Birth-Order Differences in Height and Body Mass Index From Birth to Old Age: A Pooled Study of 26 Twin Cohorts Participating in the CODATwins Project
- Yoshie Yokoyama, Aline Jelenkovic, Reijo Sund, Joohon Sung, John L. Hopper, Syuichi Ooki, Kauko Heikkilä, Sari Aaltonen, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Gonneke Willemsen, Meike Bartels, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Kimberly J. Saudino, Tessa L. Cutler, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Jane Wardle, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, Mingguang He, Xiaohu Ding, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Henning Beck-Nielsen, Morten Sodemann, Yun-Mi Song, Sarah Yang, Kayoung Lee, Hoe-Uk Jeong, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, Jennifer R. Harris, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Jeffrey M. Craig, Richard Saffery, Fuling Ji, Feng Ning, Zengchang Pang, Lise Dubois, Michel Boivin, Mara Brendgen, Ginette Dionne, Frank Vitaro, Nicholas G. Martin, Sarah E. Medland, Grant W. Montgomery, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Per Tynelius, Claire M. A. Haworth, Robert Plomin, Esther Rebato, Richard J. Rose, Jack H. Goldberg, Finn Rasmussen, Yoon-Mi Hur, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Dorret I. Boomsma, Jaakko Kaprio, Karri Silventoinen
-
- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 19 / Issue 2 / April 2016
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 09 March 2016, pp. 112-124
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- HTML
- Export citation
-
We analyzed birth order differences in means and variances of height and body mass index (BMI) in monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins from infancy to old age. The data were derived from the international CODATwins database. The total number of height and BMI measures from 0.5 to 79.5 years of age was 397,466. As expected, first-born twins had greater birth weight than second-born twins. With respect to height, first-born twins were slightly taller than second-born twins in childhood. After adjusting the results for birth weight, the birth order differences decreased and were no longer statistically significant. First-born twins had greater BMI than the second-born twins over childhood and adolescence. After adjusting the results for birth weight, birth order was still associated with BMI until 12 years of age. No interaction effect between birth order and zygosity was found. Only limited evidence was found that birth order influenced variances of height or BMI. The results were similar among boys and girls and also in MZ and DZ twins. Overall, the differences in height and BMI between first- and second-born twins were modest even in early childhood, while adjustment for birth weight reduced the birth order differences but did not remove them for BMI.
Zygosity Differences in Height and Body Mass Index of Twins From Infancy to Old Age: A Study of the CODATwins Project
- Aline Jelenkovic, Yoshie Yokoyama, Reijo Sund, Chika Honda, Leonie H Bogl, Sari Aaltonen, Fuling Ji, Feng Ning, Zengchang Pang, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Sarah E. Medland, Grant W. Montgomery, Christian Kandler, Tom A. McAdams, Thalia C. Eley, Alice M. Gregory, Kimberly J. Saudino, Lise Dubois, Michel Boivin, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Claire M. A. Haworth, Robert Plomin, Sevgi Y. Öncel, Fazil Aliev, Maria A. Stazi, Corrado Fagnani, Cristina D’Ippolito, Jeffrey M. Craig, Richard Saffery, Sisira H. Siribaddana, Matthew Hotopf, Athula Sumathipala, Fruhling Rijsdijk, Timothy Spector, Massimo Mangino, Genevieve Lachance, Margaret Gatz, David A. Butler, Gombojav Bayasgalan, Danshiitsoodol Narandalai, Duarte L Freitas, José Antonio Maia, K. Paige Harden, Elliot M. Tucker-Drob, Bia Kim, Youngsook Chong, Changhee Hong, Hyun Jung Shin, Kaare Christensen, Axel Skytthe, Kirsten O. Kyvik, Catherine A. Derom, Robert F. Vlietinck, Ruth J. F. Loos, Wendy Cozen, Amie E. Hwang, Thomas M. Mack, Mingguang He, Xiaohu Ding, Billy Chang, Judy L. Silberg, Lindon J. Eaves, Hermine H. Maes, Tessa L. Cutler, John L. Hopper, Kelly Aujard, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Yun-Mi Song, Sarah Yang, Kayoung Lee, Laura A. Baker, Catherine Tuvblad, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Henning Beck-Nielsen, Morten Sodemann, Kauko Heikkilä, Qihua Tan, Dongfeng Zhang, Gary E. Swan, Ruth Krasnow, Kerry L. Jang, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, Paul Lichtenstein, Robert F. Krueger, Matt McGue, Shandell Pahlen, Per Tynelius, Glen E. Duncan, Dedra Buchwald, Robin P. Corley, Brooke M. Huibregtse, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Carol E. Franz, William S. Kremen, Michael J. Lyons, Syuichi Ooki, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Fujio Inui, Mikio Watanabe, Meike Bartels, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Jane Wardle, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, Esther Rebato, Nicholas G. Martin, Yoshinori Iwatani, Kazuo Hayakawa, Joohon Sung, Jennifer R. Harris, Gonneke Willemsen, Andreas Busjahn, Jack H. Goldberg, Finn Rasmussen, Yoon-Mi Hur, Dorret I. Boomsma, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Jaakko Kaprio, Karri Silventoinen
-
- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 18 / Issue 5 / October 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 04 September 2015, pp. 557-570
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- HTML
- Export citation
-
A trend toward greater body size in dizygotic (DZ) than in monozygotic (MZ) twins has been suggested by some but not all studies, and this difference may also vary by age. We analyzed zygosity differences in mean values and variances of height and body mass index (BMI) among male and female twins from infancy to old age. Data were derived from an international database of 54 twin cohorts participating in the COllaborative project of Development of Anthropometrical measures in Twins (CODATwins), and included 842,951 height and BMI measurements from twins aged 1 to 102 years. The results showed that DZ twins were consistently taller than MZ twins, with differences of up to 2.0 cm in childhood and adolescence and up to 0.9 cm in adulthood. Similarly, a greater mean BMI of up to 0.3 kg/m2 in childhood and adolescence and up to 0.2 kg/m2 in adulthood was observed in DZ twins, although the pattern was less consistent. DZ twins presented up to 1.7% greater height and 1.9% greater BMI than MZ twins; these percentage differences were largest in middle and late childhood and decreased with age in both sexes. The variance of height was similar in MZ and DZ twins at most ages. In contrast, the variance of BMI was significantly higher in DZ than in MZ twins, particularly in childhood. In conclusion, DZ twins were generally taller and had greater BMI than MZ twins, but the differences decreased with age in both sexes.
The CODATwins Project: The Cohort Description of Collaborative Project of Development of Anthropometrical Measures in Twins to Study Macro-Environmental Variation in Genetic and Environmental Effects on Anthropometric Traits
- Karri Silventoinen, Aline Jelenkovic, Reijo Sund, Chika Honda, Sari Aaltonen, Yoshie Yokoyama, Adam D. Tarnoki, David L. Tarnoki, Feng Ning, Fuling Ji, Zengchang Pang, Juan R. Ordoñana, Juan F. Sánchez-Romera, Lucia Colodro-Conde, S. Alexandra Burt, Kelly L. Klump, Sarah E. Medland, Grant W. Montgomery, Christian Kandler, Tom A. McAdams, Thalia C. Eley, Alice M. Gregory, Kimberly J. Saudino, Lise Dubois, Michel Boivin, Claire M. A. Haworth, Robert Plomin, Sevgi Y. Öncel, Fazil Aliev, Maria A. Stazi, Corrado Fagnani, Cristina D’Ippolito, Jeffrey M. Craig, Richard Saffery, Sisira H. Siribaddana, Matthew Hotopf, Athula Sumathipala, Timothy Spector, Massimo Mangino, Genevieve Lachance, Margaret Gatz, David A. Butler, Gombojav Bayasgalan, Danshiitsoodol Narandalai, Duarte L. Freitas, José Antonio Maia, K. Paige Harden, Elliot M. Tucker-Drob, Kaare Christensen, Axel Skytthe, Kirsten O. Kyvik, Changhee Hong, Youngsook Chong, Catherine A. Derom, Robert F. Vlietinck, Ruth J. F. Loos, Wendy Cozen, Amie E. Hwang, Thomas M. Mack, Mingguang He, Xiaohu Ding, Billy Chang, Judy L. Silberg, Lindon J. Eaves, Hermine H. Maes, Tessa L. Cutler, John L. Hopper, Kelly Aujard, Patrik K. E. Magnusson, Nancy L. Pedersen, Anna K. Dahl Aslan, Yun-Mi Song, Sarah Yang, Kayoung Lee, Laura A. Baker, Catherine Tuvblad, Morten Bjerregaard-Andersen, Henning Beck-Nielsen, Morten Sodemann, Kauko Heikkilä, Qihua Tan, Dongfeng Zhang, Gary E. Swan, Ruth Krasnow, Kerry L. Jang, Ariel Knafo-Noam, David Mankuta, Lior Abramson, Paul Lichtenstein, Robert F. Krueger, Matt McGue, Shandell Pahlen, Per Tynelius, Glen E. Duncan, Dedra Buchwald, Robin P. Corley, Brooke M. Huibregtse, Tracy L. Nelson, Keith E. Whitfield, Carol E. Franz, William S. Kremen, Michael J. Lyons, Syuichi Ooki, Ingunn Brandt, Thomas Sevenius Nilsen, Fujio Inui, Mikio Watanabe, Meike Bartels, Toos C. E. M. van Beijsterveldt, Jane Wardle, Clare H. Llewellyn, Abigail Fisher, Esther Rebato, Nicholas G. Martin, Yoshinori Iwatani, Kazuo Hayakawa, Finn Rasmussen, Joohon Sung, Jennifer R. Harris, Gonneke Willemsen, Andreas Busjahn, Jack H. Goldberg, Dorret I. Boomsma, Yoon-Mi Hur, Thorkild I. A. Sørensen, Jaakko Kaprio
-
- Journal:
- Twin Research and Human Genetics / Volume 18 / Issue 4 / August 2015
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 27 May 2015, pp. 348-360
-
- Article
-
- You have access Access
- HTML
- Export citation
-
For over 100 years, the genetics of human anthropometric traits has attracted scientific interest. In particular, height and body mass index (BMI, calculated as kg/m2) have been under intensive genetic research. However, it is still largely unknown whether and how heritability estimates vary between human populations. Opportunities to address this question have increased recently because of the establishment of many new twin cohorts and the increasing accumulation of data in established twin cohorts. We started a new research project to analyze systematically (1) the variation of heritability estimates of height, BMI and their trajectories over the life course between birth cohorts, ethnicities and countries, and (2) to study the effects of birth-related factors, education and smoking on these anthropometric traits and whether these effects vary between twin cohorts. We identified 67 twin projects, including both monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins, using various sources. We asked for individual level data on height and weight including repeated measurements, birth related traits, background variables, education and smoking. By the end of 2014, 48 projects participated. Together, we have 893,458 height and weight measures (52% females) from 434,723 twin individuals, including 201,192 complete twin pairs (40% monozygotic, 40% same-sex dizygotic and 20% opposite-sex dizygotic) representing 22 countries. This project demonstrates that large-scale international twin studies are feasible and can promote the use of existing data for novel research purposes.