Effects of ADIPOQ and NOS3 SNPs/haplotypes on blood pressure control in patients with adherence to antihypertensive therapy.

Aim: We examined whether ADIPOQ (rs266729 and rs1501299) and NOS3 (rs3918226 and rs1799983) SNPs or the haplotypes formed by them, affect blood pressure (BP) control in 196 patients with adherence to antihypertensive therapy grouped into controlled (BP <140/90 mmHg) and uncontrolled (BP ≥140/90 mmHg) hypertension. Materials & methods: The average of the three most recent BP measurements was retrieved from the patients' electronic medical records. Adherence to antihypertensive therapy was evaluated using the Morisky-Green test. Haplotype frequencies were estimated using Haplo.stats. Multiple logistic/linear regression analyses were adjusted for the covariates ethnicity, dyslipidemia, obesity, cardiovascular disease and uric acid. Results: ADIPOQ rs266729 genotypes CG (additive model) and CG+GG (dominant model) were associated with uncontrolled hypertension and CG was associated with higher systolic BP and mean arterial pressure (p < 0.05). ADIPOQ haplotypes 'GT' and 'GG' were associated with uncontrolled hypertension and 'GT' was associated with higher diastolic BP and mean arterial pressure (p < 0.05). Conclusion: ADIPOQ SNPs and haplotypes affect BP control in hypertensive patients undergoing treatment.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (ACE) polymorphisms are associated with dysregulation of biochemical parameters in hypertensive patients.

INTRODUCTION: The genetic component, including genes and their variants, plays a significant role in the pathophysiology of arterial hypertension (AH). Thus, clinical, epidemiological and genetic studies have been carried out to improve the understanding of disease mechanisms, improve diagnostic quality and contribute to prevention. OBJECTIVE: To determine the association of risk factors, biochemical parameters and different ACE gene polymorphisms with AH. METHOD: The case-control study was carried out in the population of Ouro Preto, Brazil. The subjects answered a questionnaire containing clinical and sociodemographic data. The ACE gene polymorphisms rs4291, rs4363 and rs4335 were evaluated by real time-polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR) in 310 people (155 hypertensive and 155 normotensive patients), in addition to biochemical parameters. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with AH. Analysis of continuous variables was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test to assess significance between groups and Dunn's post-test for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: The results showed that AH was associated with age, education, smoking, obesity and high levels of triglycerides, sodium, glucose and uric acid. Regarding the biochemical parameters, in hypertensive patients, the rs4363 and rs4335 polymorphisms were associated with high levels of triglycerides, urea and glucose; the rs4291 polymorphism was associated with elevated urea and glucose levels. No association was detected between SNPs and HA. CONCLUSION: AH was associated with socioeconomic status, lifestyle habits and biochemical parameters. ACE polymorphisms may have influenced the levels of triglycerides, urea and glucose in hypertensive patients.

Correlation among four questionnaires that evaluate menopausal symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: The number of specific scales to measure menopausal symptoms has increased significantly in the last decades. However, the lack of standardization as well as prioritization of which scale should be used in exploring menopausal symptoms poses problems in most populations. Thus, we aimed at demonstrating the correlation among four questionnaires evaluating menopausal symptoms: the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS), Greene Climacteric Scale (GCS), Kupperman Menopausal Index, and Women's Health Questionnaire (WHQ). METHODS: We recruited 336 women between 40 and 65 years of age who responded to all four questionnaires. For each questionnaire, we calculated the overall score and the subscale scores. We then compared variables using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient (Rho). RESULTS: We found a very strong correlation (Rho > 0.80; P  < 0.001) between all the questionnaires. The strongest correlations were those observed in the comparisons involving the GCS (Rho 0.92-0.95; P  < 0.001), whereas the weakest ones were observed using the WHQ scale (Rho -0.86 to -0.89; P  < 0.001). Like in the overall score analyses, vasomotor, somatic, and psychological symptoms demonstrated the strongest correlations in the GCS comparisons and the weakest correlations between the WHQ and MRS. CONCLUSIONS: The MRS, GCS, Kupperman Menopausal Index, and WHQ assessed menopausal symptoms in a very similar way. We recommend further studies to adjust and improve the existing questionnaires, test their robustness in different settings, and ensure their applicability in research and clinical practice.