Lipoprotein lipase (C/G)447 polymorphism and blood pressure in the Stanislas Cohort

Association between blood pressure and triglyceride levels, and between lipoprotein lipase (LPL) (C/G)447 polymorphism and triglyceride levels has been described. We investigated whether the LPL (C/G)447 polymorphism was associated with blood pressure (BP) levels and longitudinal changes.

For cross-sectional analysis, 767 men and 816 women (29-55 years) were selected from the Stanislas Cohort, a cohort of volunteers for a free health check-up. Only subjects without anti-hypertensive or lipid-lowering medication were included in the study. A subset of this sample population, 359 men and 337 women, had been followed during the 11 years prior to recruitment in the Stanislas Cohort and was used for longitudinal analysis.

The cross-sectional study showed that serum triglyceride levels differed significantly according to LPL genotypes in both genders, the G447 allele being associated with the lowest triglyceride levels (P < or = 0.01). Univariate and multivariate analysis found that LPL polymorphism was not related to BP levels in men. In contrast, women with the LPL-G447 allele had lower systolic (SBP) and pulse (PP) pressure levels than those with the LPL-CC genotype (P < or = 0.01 and P < or = 0.05, respectively); this association being independent of triglyceride level. The longitudinal study showed LPL genotype was an independent predictor of PP and SBP follow-up levels in women; changes over 11 years being lower for LPL-G447 allele carriers (P < or = 0.05). These associations were independent of triglyceride level.

The LPL-G447 allele was found associated with lower PP and SBP independently of triglyceride level in women. This result suggests that the LPL gene may influence blood pressure.