A klotho gene single nucleotide polymorphism is associated with the onset of stroke and plasma klotho concentration.

Klotho protects against development of multiple age-related disorders, including cardiovascular diseases. We assessed whether a human klotho single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs650439 is associated with the onset of stroke in hypertensive patients and plasma klotho concentration in the general population. Five hundred and twenty-three patients with hypertension were analyzed for both the presence of rs650439 and onset of stroke. We found that hypertensive patients with the TT genotype of rs650439 (n=52) had a higher incidence of stroke than those with AT (n=257) and AA (n=214) genotypes. Multivariate analysis indicated that the TT genotype was the only risk factor associated with increased incidence of stroke. Plasma klotho concentrations were measured in a general population (age=70±1 years) to assess the association between rs650439 and plasma klotho concentration. A significant trend was observed in the elderly population where plasma klotho concentration decreased as the T alleles in rs650439 increased. Subjects with a TT genotype had lower plasma klotho concentrations than those with AT+AA genotypes. In conclusion, TT genotype of klotho SNP (rs650439) is correlated with an increased incidence of stroke in hypertensive patients, and the mechanism underlying this correlation might involve the effect of rs650439 T allele on plasma klotho concentrations.

Oxidized LDL (oxLDL) activates the angiotensin II type 1 receptor by binding to the lectin-like oxLDL receptor.

The angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) is a 7-transmembrane domain GPCR that when activated by its ligand angiotensin II, generates signaling events promoting vascular dysfunction and the development of cardiovascular disease. Here, we show that the single-transmembrane oxidized LDL (oxLDL) receptor (LOX-1) resides in proximity to AT1 on cell-surface membranes and that binding of oxLDL to LOX-1 can allosterically activate AT1-dependent signaling events. oxLDL-induced signaling events in human vascular endothelial cells were abolished by knockdown of AT1 and inhibited by AT1 blockade (ARB). oxLDL increased cytosolic G protein by 350% in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells with genetically induced expression of AT1 and LOX-1, whereas little increase was observed in CHO cells expressing only LOX-1. Immunoprecipitation and in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) assays in CHO cells revealed the presence of cell-surface complexes involving LOX-1 and AT1. Chimeric analysis showed that oxLDL-induced AT1 signaling events are mediated via interactions between the intracellular domain of LOX-1 and AT1 that activate AT1. oxLDL-induced impairment of endothelium-dependent vascular relaxation of vascular ring from mouse thoracic aorta was abolished by ARB or genetic deletion of AT1. These findings reveal a novel pathway for AT1 activation and suggest a new mechanism whereby oxLDL may be promoting risk for cardiovascular disease.

Prognostic impact of regional arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients.

Many reports have shown that brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and carotid-femoral PWV are prognostic factors for cardiovascular diseases. We evaluated heart-carotid PWV, heart-femoral PWV (hfPWV), and femoral-ankle PWV (faPWV) using carotid and femoral sensors. Our objectives were to reveal correlations among PWVs and to determine the clinical importance of the respective PWVs in predicting the cardiovascular events. This prospective cohort study included 338 patients with essential hypertension (mean age 61.3 ± 0.7, mean follow-up period 6.5 ± 0.1 years) whose regional PWVs were measured. Primary end points were stroke, cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and death. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that subjects with higher faPWV and baPWV had a significantly higher incidence of stroke (p = 0.0288 and 0.0277, respectively), subjects with higher hfPWV had a significantly higher incidence of CVD (p = 0.0212), subjects with higher baPWV and hfPWV had a significantly higher incidence of stroke + CVD (p = 0.0070 and 0.0463, respectively), and subjects with higher baPWV had a significantly higher mortality rate (p = 0.0367). Cox proportional hazard model revealed that baPWV was a significant risk factor for stroke + CVD after adjustment for traditional risk factors (relative risk: 14.50, p = 0.0288). Higher baPWV may be a risk factor for stroke and CVD, but the prognostic impact of regional PWVs is still unclear in patients with hypertension.

The influence of aging on the diagnosis of primary aldosteronism.

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is common in young or middle-aged hypertensive patients, but PA among the elderly has recently become more common. As salt sensitivity increases with age, plasma renin activity (PRA) tends to decrease, whereas the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR) tends to increase in the elderly. The aim of this study was to clarify the influence of aging on the diagnosis of PA. We retrospectively evaluated 155 consecutively admitted patients who were not taking antihypertensive medications or calcium channel blockers and α blockers that underwent PRA and plasma aldosterone concentration (PAC) measurements. The study subjects included 13 PA and 69 essential hypertensive (EHT) patients aged over 65 years, and 32 PA and 41 EHT patients under aged 65 years. Our study clarified the influence of aging through screening and confirmatory tests for the diagnosis of PA. Our results showed the ARR cutoff value for a screening test to be 556 (area under the curve: AUC=0.906), its sensitivity and specificity to be 84.6% and 89.9%, respectively, and the likelihood ratio to be 8.34 in the elderly, whereas the ARR cutoff value was 272 in the non-elderly. In the saline infusion test, the mean PAC was 86.6 ± 41.8 pg ml(-1) in the elderly and 158.1 ± 116.5 pg ml(-1) in the non-elderly (P = 0.04). There was no influence from age in both the captopril challenge test and the furosemide upright test. Aging may influence PA screening and saline infusion tests; thus, we should consider the influence of aging in the diagnosis of elderly subjects with PA.

Alteration of vascular function is an important factor in the correlation between visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and cardiovascular disease.

OBJECTIVE: To assess how visit-to-visit variability of SBP correlates with systemic atherosclerotic change and various prognoses. BACKGROUND: Visit-to-visit SBP variability correlates with cardiovascular events. However, the mechanisms underlying the impact of visit-to-visit SBP variability on prognoses are poorly understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 485 patients with essential hypertension from the Non-Invasive Atherosclerotic Evaluation in Hypertension (NOAH) study cohort were included. We analyzed the correlation between visit-to-visit SBP variability and multiple clinical parameters. Next, we prospectively examined the correlation of SBP variability and frequency of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and total mortality. Patients with higher SBP variability exhibited significantly higher rates of statin use, as well as higher pulse wave velocity (PWV), left-ventricular mass index (LVMI), plaque score, and resistive index of the common carotid artery; these patients also exhibited lower estimated glomerular filtration rate. Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with higher SBP variability have a significantly higher incidence of CVD and mortality rate. The hazard ratio of SBP variability for incidence of CVD was greatly diminished after adjustment for intima-media thickness, plaque score, and resistive index, and was slightly diminished after adjustment for PWV and LVMI. Visit-to-visit SBP variability remained an independent risk factor for mortality after adjustment. CONCLUSION: Visit-to-visit SBP variability correlates significantly with systemic atherosclerotic change, incidence of CVD, and mortality rate. Altered arterial functions, such as macrovascular atherosclerosis and vascular resistance, are responsible for the correlations between visit-to-visit SBP variability and incidence of CVD.

Carotid plaque score and intima media thickness as predictors of stroke and mortality in hypertensive patients.

The mean intima media thickness (IMT) and plaque score from carotid ultrasonography are both widely used to evaluate macrovascular atherosclerotic change. The present study sought to examine which parameter more effectively predicts patient prognosis. This hospital-based cohort study included 356 patients with essential hypertension (mean age: 62.4 ± 0.6). We investigated how the mean IMT and plaque score correlated with various parameters, including pulse wave velocity (PWV), and we assessed the ability of the mean IMT and plaque score to predict cardiovascular events and total mortality. The mean IMT and plaque score significantly correlated with systemic atherosclerotic change, target organ damage, age and PWV. Subjects with a higher mean IMT and subjects with higher plaque scores showed higher frequencies of stroke and total mortality. In addition, subjects with marginal thickening of the intima media (mean ≥ 0.7) showed a significantly higher frequency of stroke than subjects with a mean IMT of <0.7. After adjustment for traditional risk factors, plaque score was significantly and independently predictive of stroke, and the predictive ability of the plaque score for the onset of stroke was equivalent to that of PWV. The mean IMT and plaque score showed a nonsignificant trend of higher risk of mortality after adjustment for traditional risk factors. The mean IMT and plaque score were significantly correlated with systemic atherosclerotic change. We revealed that plaque score predicted the onset of stroke more accurately than the mean IMT, and the accuracy of this prediction was equivalent to that from PWV in hypertensive patients. We also showed that marginal thickening of the intima media (as measured by mean IMT) may be a predictor of stroke.

-374 T/A polymorphism in RAGE gene is associated with onset of diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, and renal dysfunction in patients with hypertension.

Receptor of advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is reportedly linked with chronic inflammatory diseases due to aging or diabetes. The aim of this study was to show how -374 T/A RAGE has an impact on systemic vascular damage and renal function. The study subjects were a total of 468 essential hypertension patients from the Non-Invasive Atherosclerotic Evaluation in Hypertension (NOAH) study cohort. We prospectively examined the association of -374 T/A RAGE with their prognoses and investigated the correlation between -374 T/A RAGE and multiple clinical parameters. Kaplan-Meier analysis did not show a significant association of -374 T/A RAGE with total mortality or the prevalence of cardiovascular events. Carriers of the A allele showed a significantly higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) and lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) than subjects without this allele. In subjects with DM, carriers of the A allele showed a significantly lower eGFR. These significant correlations were only seen in male subjects. Carriers of the A allele of -374 T/A RAGE show an independent risk of atherosclerosis and reduced renal function in male hypertensive patients with DM.

Adiponectin single nucleotide polymorphism is a genetic risk factor for stroke through high pulse wave pressure: a cohort study.

AIM: Adiponectin is a key molecule involved in metabolic syndrome. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ADIPOQ gene encoding adiponectin correlate with various diseases, such as diabetes mellitus; however, there is insufficient information about ADIPOQ SNPs and the onset of cardiovascular events. METHODS: This hospital-based cohort study included 353 patients with essential hypertension (mean age, 62.9±0.6; mean follow-up period. 7.9±0.2 years) in whom ADIPOQ SNPs encoding G276T, I164T, A349G, and/or G967A amino acid changes were detected. We analyzed the correlation between ADIPOQ SNPs and various parameters, including pulse wave velocity (PWV), and assessed whether these SNPs could be risk factors for the onset of stroke, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. RESULTS: Subjects with the T allele of G276T showed significantly lower HDL cholesterol, and significantly higher HbA1c and brachial-ankle PWV (baPWV). Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that subjects with the T allele of G276T had a significantly higher frequency of stroke (p= 0.0489). The Cox proportional hazard model showed that the T allele of G276T was an independent and significant risk factor for stroke after adjusting for traditional risk factors (relative risk: 1.879, p= 0.0479); however, when adjusted for traditional risk factors and baPWV, the relative risk was significantly diminished (relative risk: 0.710, p= 0.4937). G276T was significantly correlated with dyslipidemia and glucose metabolism. CONCLUSION: The T allele of G276T was a significant and independent risk for the onset of stroke, and mediated the incidence of stroke through increased arterial stiffness.

Differences between daytime and nighttime blood pressure variability regarding systemic atherosclerotic change and renal function.

Recently, new parameters related to hypertension, such as variability in blood pressure and ambulatory arterial stiffness index (AASI), were demonstrated to correlate with arteriosclerotic change. In this study, we investigated the correlation between circadian variability in blood pressure/AASI and renal function. We also investigated differences in the clinical impact of 24 h, daytime and nighttime blood pressure variability on renal and systemic atherosclerotic changes. We analyzed data from 120 patients who underwent renal Doppler ultrasonography (RDU) and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) at our hospital ward, and investigated the correlation between circadian variability in blood pressure/AASI and renal function, including resistive index (RI) evaluated with RDU, which is thought to be a good indicator of renal vascular resistance. Subjects with higher circadian variability in systolic blood pressure (SBP) had significantly higher RI. Daytime variability in SBP correlated more strongly with RI than nighttime variability. Meanwhile, only nighttime variability, but not daytime variability, in SBP was related to carotid atherosclerosis. Similarly, AASI was significantly correlated with RI. Circadian variability in SBP and AASI were both significantly correlated with renal function. Daytime SBP s.d. was especially more strongly correlated with renal vascular resistance, and nighttime SBP s.d. was significantly correlated with intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque score. These results indicate that evaluating both daytime and nighttime blood pressure variability enables an assessment of pathological conditions in hypertensive patients to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Cut-off value of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity to predict cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients: a cohort study.

AIM: Arterial stiffness has been reported to correlate with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) is easy to measure and has been used as a marker to evaluate arterial stiffness. The objective of the present study was to determine the cut-off value of baPWV for predicting cardiovascular prognosis in a prospective cohort study. METHODS: Four hundred forty patients with essential hypertension were analyzed in study 1 with a mean follow-up of 6.3±0.1 years. Four hundred patients from study 1 who did not have a past history of CVD and/or stroke were analyzed in study 2 with a mean follow-up of 6.4±0.1 years. Stroke, CVD, and death were the primary endpoints. RESULTS: Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed that 1750.0 cm/sec is an appropriate cut-off value for baPWV to predict the onset of stroke, CVD, stroke+CVD, and total mortality (area under curve: 0.576-0.719). A baPWV higher than 1750.0 may also be a significant and independent risk factor for the onset of CVD+stroke (relative risk: 2.048 (1.176-3.616), p= 0.0113 in study 1; relative risk: 1.920 (1.028-3.634), p=0.0408 in study 2). CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicates that 1750.0 cm/sec could be a useful cut-off value for baPWV to predict cardiovascular prognosis.

Influence of renin angiotensin system gene polymorphisms on visit-to-visit blood pressure variability in hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND: Visit-to-visit blood pressure (BP) variability has been reported to be a major risk for cardiovascular events. Renin angiotensin system (RAS) gene polymorphisms are reportedly genetic risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and arterial stiffness. In this study, we aimed to reveal the relationship between visit-to-visit BP variability and RAS gene polymorphisms. METHODS: Study subjects included 427 essential hypertension patients from the Non-Invasive Atherosclerotic Evaluation in Hypertension study cohort, whose BP was measured during at least six outpatient visits. We analyzed the correlation between visit-to-visit variability in systolic BP (SBP) and RAS gene polymorphisms. RESULTS: We identified angiotensinogen M235T, angiotensin II type 1 receptor A1166C, and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphisms. Only ACE I/D polymorphisms were correlated with variability in diastolic BP; no gene polymorphisms were correlated with variability in SBP. CONCLUSIONS: RAS gene polymorphisms, especially ACE I/D polymorphisms, might genetically influence the visit-to-visit BP variability in hypertensive patients.

Serum uric acid is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality in hypertensive patients.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the association of serum uric acid (UA) levels in hypertensive patients with the prognosis for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality. This hospital-based cohort study included 669 patients with essential hypertension. A questionnaire was used to identify patients in whom hypertensive complications had occurred, as well as causes of death. The primary end point of this study was new onset of stroke or CVD (new onset of angina pectoris, myocardial infarction or heart failure). We evaluated the baseline characteristics of patients, including UA levels, and assessed whether UA levels could be used to predict stroke and CVD. We also classified subjects into four groups according to the serum UA levels. During a mean follow-up period of 7.1±0.1 years, 71 strokes, 58 cases of CVD and 64 deaths were recorded. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that subjects in the high UA group had a higher frequency of stroke and CVD (P=0.0120) and total mortality (P=0.0021). A Cox proportional hazard model determined that, after adjusting for traditional risk factors, serum UA levels were predictive of CVD (relative risk=1.30; P=0.0073), stroke and CVD (relative risk=1.19; P=0.0141), mortality (relative risk=1.23; P=0.0353) and stroke CVD and mortality (relative risk=1.19; P=0.0083), but not stroke (P=0.4268). The significant correlations were particularly marked in women. Serum UA levels may be an independent risk factor for stroke and CVD in patients with essential hypertension, particularly women.

Relationship between renal hemodynamic status and aging in patients without diabetes evaluated by renal Doppler ultrasonography.

BACKGROUND: Aging is well known as one of the major causes of a reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The resistive index (RI) measured by renal Doppler ultrasonography (RDU) is thought to be a good indicator of renal vascular resistance induced by arteriosclerosis. In this study, we investigated whether RI could be used to evaluate the pathogenesis of renal damage or the mechanisms of reduction of renal function by aging. METHODS: We investigated the correlation between RI and multiple clinical parameters and the influence of aging on the renal hemodynamic status of 194 in-patients (mean age 66.2 years) who underwent RDU at our hospital between February 2009 and July 2010. RESULTS: RI was significantly correlated with the age, estimated GFR (eGFR), diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and degree of albuminuria. Subjects aged ≥75 years showed a significantly higher correlation coefficient between eGFR and RI. RI showed a stronger correlation with age in subjects aged ≥75 years compared to eGFR. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that renal vascular resistance and intra-renal arteriosclerosis had a greater impact on renal function in older than younger subjects, reflecting the possible mechanisms of renal function reduction due to aging.

Genetic variants at the 9p21 locus contribute to atherosclerosis through modulation of ANRIL and CDKN2A/B.

UNLABELLED: Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified genetic variants contributing to the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) at the chromosome 9p21 locus. The CVD-associated region is adjacent to the two cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors (CDKN)2A and 2B and the last exons of the non-coding RNA, ANRIL. It is still not clear which of or how these transcripts are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the hypothesis that 9p21 locus polymorphisms influence the expression of the transcripts in the region (ANRIL, CDKN2A/B) and that these transcripts contribute to atherogenesis through the modulation of proliferation in VSMC. METHODS: We genotyped 18 SNPs (r(2)<0.8 and MAF>0.05) across the region of interest: CDKN2A/B and ANRIL, encompassing the CVD-associated region. RNA and DNA were extracted from the blood of 57 volunteers (69-72 years old). Carotid ultrasound was performed in 56 subjects. CDKN2A/B and ANRIL (exons 1-2 and 17-18) expression was measured employing RT-PCR. Gene expression and cell growth were evaluated in cultured VSMC after the siRNA-mediated knock-down of ANRIL. RESULTS: The risk alleles for atherosclerosis-related phenotypes were consistently associated with a lower expression of ANRIL when evaluating exons 1-2. Common carotid artery stenosis was associated with a significantly lower (P<0.01) expression of ANRIL (exons 1-2). ANRIL knock-down in VSMC caused significant variation in expression of CDKN2A/B (P<0.05) and reduction of cell growth (P<0.05) in vitro. CONCLUSION: Disease-associated SNPs at the 9p21 locus predominantly affect the expression of ANRIL. Overall, our results suggest that several CVD-associated SNPs in the 9p21 locus affect the expression of ANRIL, which, in turn modulate cell growth, possibly via CDKN2A/B regulation.

The impact of visit-to-visit variability in blood pressure on renal function.

Hypertension is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases such as chronic kidney disease. It is still not fully understood how blood pressure impacts the kidneys. In this study, we aimed to establish the significance of visit-to-visit variability in blood pressure for renal function. We analyzed 143 consecutive patients undergoing renal Doppler ultrasonography in our hospital ward and measured blood pressure at outpatient visits six or more times. We analyzed the correlation between visit-to-visit variability in blood pressure and multiple clinical parameters, including albuminuria and resistive index evaluated by renal Doppler ultrasonography, which is thought to be a good indicator of renal vascular resistance. Subjects with higher variability in systolic blood pressure showed a significantly higher prevalence rate of clinical albuminuria and microalbuminuria, and showed significantly higher resistive index. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that variability in systolic blood pressure was a significant risk factor for higher resistive index, independent of other renal risk factors. Visit-to-visit variability in blood pressure correlates significantly with renal function and renal arteriosclerotic change. This parameter could provide additional information about renal arteriosclerotic change independent of estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria, and should be considered a therapeutic target for renal protection.

The combination of chronic kidney disease and increased arterial stiffness is a predictor for stroke and cardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients.

To clarify the clinical utility of pulse wave velocity (PWV) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in hypertension, we analyzed the prognostic impact of PWV and CKD on cerebrocardiovascular disease in hypertensive patients. This study consisted of 531 patients with essential hypertension (male/female=292/239, mean age=61.7±12.3, mean follow-up=7.0±3.0 years) and was performed between January 1998 and June 2004. We used questionnaires to assess stroke (n=57), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs; myocardial infarction, angina and congestive heart failure; n=44) and death (n=53) as primary end points. At baseline, we evaluated the carotid-femoral PWV (9.1±1.8 m s(-1)), the glomerular filtration rate and urinary protein excretions. We divided these subjects into those in the highest quartile of PWV and other subjects and into CKD (n=149) and non-CKD (n=458). We evaluated the prognostic influences of PWV and CKD with Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox's proportional hazard model. PWV in CKD (9.6±1.9 m s(-1)) was higher than in non-CKD (8.8±1.6 m s(-1); P<0.0001), and creatinine was slightly decreased in the highest PWV group (1.09±0.35 mg dl(-1), P<0.0001). On the basis of Kaplan-Meier analysis, the highest PWV group (PWV>10.1 m s(-1); P=0.0003) and the CKD group (P=0.0005) showed significantly higher proportions of stroke and CVD events. In addition, the highest PWV group showed the highest percentage of stroke (P=0.0007), and the CKD group showed the highest proportion of CVD (P<00001). High PWV and CKD were independent predictors for stroke and CVD (P=0.0332) by Cox's proportional hazard model. These data suggest that increased aortic stiffness and CKD may be predictors for stroke and cardiovascular events in hypertensive patients.

Usefulness of the resistive index in renal Doppler ultrasonography as an indicator of vascular damage in patients with risks of atherosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is caused by various risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is commonly used for the evaluation of the renal function in patients with CKD; however, it is difficult to assess the pathogenesis of CKD and predict the renal prognosis accurately using only eGFR. The resistive index (RI) in renal Doppler ultrasonography (RDU) is thought to be a good indicator of renal vascular resistance caused by atherosclerosis. In the present study, we investigated whether RI could be used to evaluate the pathogenesis of renal damage and predict the renal prognosis and investigated the correlation between RI and blood pressure (BP) fluctuations in patients with or without hypertension. METHODS: The total study population included 194 patients (mean age: 66.2 years), who underwent RDU in our hospital ward between February 2009 and July 2010. We investigated the correlation between RI and multiple clinical parameters, including ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM). RESULTS: RI significantly correlated with age, eGFR, diastolic BP, pulse pressure and level of albuminuria. Patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) showed a significantly higher RI than patients without DM, although their eGFR was similar; thus, DM might accelerate renal vascular damage and RI could detect earlier changes of vascular damage proceeding the time eGFR is reduced. Regarding ABPM, patients with a larger morning surge [systolic blood pressure (SBP) in the early morning--lowest SBP during sleep] showed a significantly higher RI. CONCLUSIONS: The present study indicated that RI might be very useful for the evaluation of very early renal damage more effectively than eGFR and that diurnal BP change might be partly due to the progression of atherosclerotic change in the kidney evaluated by RI.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme single nucleotide polymorphism is a genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease: a cohort study of hypertensive patients.

The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) adversely affects stroke and cardiovascular disease; polymorphisms in genes involved in this system are associated with cardiovascular disease. The aim of the present study was to confirm the genetic risk of these polymorphisms for stroke and cardiovascular events in a cohort study of 515 hypertensive patients in Japan (follow-up period 90.6±30.2 months). The insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the gene encoding angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), the M235T amino acid change in angiotensinogen, and the A1166C polymorphism in angiotensin II type 1 receptor were determined by TaqMan PCR. In Kaplan-Meier analyses, the ACE I/D polymorphism was a risk factor for cerebro-cardiovascular events, especially cardiovascular events (P<0.0001), and the M235T mutation was a risk factor for cardiovascular events (P<0.0105). The cumulative rates of cerebro-cardiovascular end points for the ACE polymorphism were 10.6, 16.4 and 42.2% for the II (n=207), ID (n=244) and DD (n=64) genotype carriers, respectively (P<0.0001). Cox's proportional hazard models revealed that the ACE DD genotype was a risk factor for cerebro-cardiovascular and cardiovascular events (after adjusting for common risk factors), anti-hypertensive treatment and RAS inhibition (P<0.0001). Moreover, after adjustment for the common risk factors left ventricular hypertrophy and previous myocardial infarction/stroke, these phenomena were preserved. Thus, the DD genotype of ACE may be a genetic risk factor for cerebro-cardiovascular disease, especially cardiovascular events, in hypertensive patients in Japan.

ß-Adrenergic receptor gene polymorphism is a genetic risk factor for cardiovascular disease: a cohort study with hypertensive patients.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the ß-adrenergic receptor (ßADR) subtypes are related to hypertension and obesity. This hospital-based cohort study with hypertensive patients evaluated five ßADR SNPs in association with cardiovascular events. The cohort included 357 hypertensive patients (male = 181; mean age = 61.5 ± 11.8 years) seen between January 1998 and June 2004. The SNPs (Ser49Gly and Arg389Gly for ß(1)ADR; Gly16Arg and Glu27Gln for ß(2)ADR; Trp64Arg for ß(3)ADR) were identified by PCR. We used Kaplan-Meier curves to assess the prognostic effect of these SNPs on cardiovascular disease (CVD). The SNP frequencies were Ser/Ser:Ser/Gly:Gly/Gly = 243:104:10; Arg/Arg:Arg/Gly:Gly/Gly = 256:95:6; Gly/Gly:Gly/Arg:Arg/Arg = 71:201:85; Gln/Gln:Glu/Gln = 308:49; and Trp/Trp:Trp/Arg:Arg/Arg = 265:89:3. A total of 17 stroke and 15 coronary artery disease cases were recorded. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, the Ser/Ser SNP in Ser49Gly (P = 0.0398), the Glu/Gln SNP in Glu27Gln (P = 0.0390) and the Trp/Trp SNP in Trp64Arg (P = 0.0132) were associated with lower event-free CVD survival (log-rank, Mantel-Cox model). A Cox proportional hazards model revealed that only the Trp/Trp SNP (P = 0.0321) and age (P = 0.0186) were independently related to lower event-free survival for CVD, adjusted for gender, diabetes, dyslipidemia, blood pressure, body mass index, medication and hypertensive complications. Combination Kaplan-Meier analysis of these three positive SNPs indicated a higher frequency of CVD among patients with the combination of Ser/Ser in Ser49Gly of ß(1), Glu/Gln in Glu27Gln of ß(2) and Trp/Trp in Trp64Arg of ß(3) (P = 0.0209). These three SNPs, especially the Trp64Arg SNP of ß(3)ADR, might be risk factors for CVD in hypertensive patients.