Attribute Combination Discovery for Predisposition Determination

Abstract

A method and system are presented in which a query attribute is used as the basis for accessing stored attribute combinations and their frequencies of occurrence for query-attribute-positive individuals and query-attribute-negative individuals and tabulating, based on frequencies of occurrence, those attribute combinations that are most likely to co-occur with the query attribute.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A genetic based computer-implemented treatment method for controlling excessive body mass index (BMI) comprising steps executing on a processor operating as part of a computing system including:
 receiving a first query that is representative of BMI;   in response to receiving the first query, accessing a first memory sector, contained within the computing system, the first memory sector including a first attribute profile database associated with a population of individuals, the first attribute profile database comprising single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) attributes and behavioral phenotype attributes;   discovering, via processor-based statistical testing on the first attribute profile database, a set of core SNP attributes that are statistically correlated above a first threshold with BMI;   discovering, via processor-based statistical testing on the first attribute profile database, a set of behavioral phenotype attributes that are statistically associated above a second threshold with BMI and statistically correlated above a third threshold with the set of core SNP attributes;   receiving a second query regarding BMI with respect to an individual;   in response to receiving the second query, accessing a second memory sector, contained within the computing system, the second memory sector including a second attribute profile database associated with the individual;   calculating, based on the second attribute profile database associated with the individual, a genetic risk associated with BMI above a fourth threshold, wherein the genetic risk is determined at least in part based on a degree of overlap between the SNP attributes of the individual and the set of core SNP attributes;   identifying, based on the genetic risk, a reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes from the set of behavioral phenotype attributes, wherein the reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes indicate behaviors that when modified by the individual have an observable statistical impact on a propensity of the individual to BMI above the fourth threshold; and   transmitting, as a response to the second query, the reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes as modifiable attributes related to BMI for the individual.   
     
     
         2 . The genetic based computer-implemented treatment method of  claim 1 , wherein the reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes is transmitted as a list ranked according to the observable statistical impact of the propensity of the individual to exhibit excessive BMI. 
     
     
         3 . The genetic based computer-implemented treatment method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting, as a further response to the second query, the degree of overlap of the SNP attributes of the individual and the set of core SNP attributes.   
     
     
         4 . The genetic based computer-implemented treatment method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting a number of SNP attributes of the individual from the set of core SNP attributes indicating a higher propensity to exhibit excessive BMI.   
     
     
         5 . The genetic based computer-implemented treatment method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of core SNP attributes is discovered in part through attribute expansion of an initial set of SNP attributes correlated with a non-monogenic health attribute into surrounding genetic regions and selection of the core SNP attributes that are statistically associated above a fifth threshold with BMI. 
     
     
         6 . The genetic based computer-implemented treatment method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of core SNP attributes is discovered in part through attribute expansion of an initial set of SNP attributes correlated with BMI above a fifth threshold and selection of the core SNP attributes that are statistically associated above the first threshold with the BMI. 
     
     
         7 . The genetic based computer-implemented treatment method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of core SNP attributes is discovered in part through attribute expansion of an initial set of SNP attributes correlated with BMI into the set of core SNP attributes that are statistically associated above the first threshold with BMI. 
     
     
         8 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a computing system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first query that is representative of body mass index (BMI);   in response to receiving the first query, accessing a first memory sector, contained within the computing system, the first memory sector including a first attribute profile database associated with a population of individuals, the first attribute profile database comprising single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) attributes and behavioral phenotype attributes;   discovering, via processor-based statistical testing on the first attribute profile database, a set of core SNP attributes that are statistically correlated above a first threshold with BMI;   discovering, via processor-based statistical testing on the first attribute profile database, a set of behavioral phenotype attributes that are statistically associated above a second threshold with BMI and statistically correlated above a third threshold with the set of core SNP attributes;   receiving a second query regarding BMI with respect to an individual;   in response to receiving the second query, accessing a second memory sector, contained within the computing system, the second memory sector including a second attribute profile database associated with the individual;   calculating, based on the second attribute profile database associated with the individual, a genetic risk associated with BMI above a fourth threshold, wherein the genetic risk is determined at least in part based on a degree of overlap between the SNP attributes of the individual and the set of core SNP attributes;   identifying, based on the genetic risk, a reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes from the set of behavioral phenotype attributes, wherein the reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes indicate behaviors that when modified by the individual have an observable statistical impact on a propensity of the individual to BMI above the fourth threshold; and   transmitting, as a response to the second query, the reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes as modifiable attributes related to BMI for the individual.   
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes is transmitted as a list ranked according to the observable statistical impact of the propensity of the individual to exhibit excessive BMI. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
 transmitting, as a further response to the second query, the degree of overlap of the SNP attributes of the individual and the set of core SNP attributes.   
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , the operations further comprising:
 transmitting a number of SNP attributes of the individual from the set of core SNP attributes indicating a higher propensity to exhibit excessive BMI.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the set of core SNP attributes is discovered in part through attribute expansion of an initial set of SNP attributes correlated with a non-monogenic health attribute into surrounding genetic regions and selection of the core SNP attributes that are statistically associated above a fifth threshold with BMI. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the set of core SNP attributes is discovered in part through attribute expansion of an initial set of SNP attributes correlated with BMI above a fifth threshold and selection of the core SNP attributes that are statistically associated above the first threshold with the BMI. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 8 , wherein the set of core SNP attributes is discovered in part through attribute expansion of an initial set of SNP attributes correlated with BMI into the set of core SNP attributes that are statistically associated above the first threshold with BMI. 
     
     
         15 . A computing system comprising:
 one or more processors;   a first memory sector and a second memory sector; and   further memory sectors containing program instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving a first query that is representative of body mass index (BMI); 
 in response to receiving the first query, accessing the first memory sector, contained within the computing system, the first memory sector including a first attribute profile database associated with a population of individuals, the first attribute profile database comprising single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) attributes and behavioral phenotype attributes; 
 discovering, via processor-based statistical testing on the first attribute profile database, a set of core SNP attributes that are statistically correlated above a first threshold with BMI; 
 discovering, via processor-based statistical testing on the first attribute profile database, a set of behavioral phenotype attributes that are statistically associated above a second threshold with BMI and statistically correlated above a third threshold with the set of core SNP attributes; 
 receiving a second query regarding BMI with respect to an individual; 
 in response to receiving the second query, accessing the second memory sector, contained within the computing system, the second memory sector including a second attribute profile database associated with the individual; 
 calculating, based on the second attribute profile database associated with the individual, a genetic risk associated with BMI above a fourth threshold, wherein the genetic risk is determined at least in part based on a degree of overlap between the SNP attributes of the individual and the set of core SNP attributes; 
 identifying, based on the genetic risk, a reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes from the set of behavioral phenotype attributes, wherein the reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes indicate behaviors that when modified by the individual have an observable statistical impact on a propensity of the individual to BMI above the fourth threshold; and 
 transmitting, as a response to the second query, the reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes as modifiable attributes related to BMI for the individual. 
   
     
     
         16 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the reportable set of behavioral phenotype attributes is transmitted as a list ranked according to the observable statistical impact of the propensity of the individual to exhibit excessive BMI. 
     
     
         17 . The computing system of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 transmitting, as a further response to the second query, the degree of overlap of the SNP attributes of the individual and the set of core SNP attributes.   
     
     
         18 . The computing system of  claim 15 , the operations further comprising:
 transmitting a number of SNP attributes of the individual from the set of core SNP attributes indicating a higher propensity to exhibit excessive BMI.   
     
     
         19 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the set of core SNP attributes is discovered in part through attribute expansion of an initial set of SNP attributes correlated with a non-monogenic health attribute into surrounding genetic regions and selection of the core SNP attributes that are statistically associated above a fifth threshold with BMI. 
     
     
         20 . The computing system of  claim 15 , wherein the set of core SNP attributes is discovered in part through attribute expansion of an initial set of SNP attributes correlated with BMI above a fifth threshold and selection of the core SNP attributes that are statistically associated above the first threshold with the BMI.