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Early inflammatory and metabolic changes in association with AGTR1 polymorphisms in prehypertensive subjects

Maple M Fung1, Fangwen Rao, Sameer Poddar

  • 1Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California, USA. mafung@ucsd.edu

American Journal of Hypertension
|September 25, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Prehypertension is linked to early cardiovascular disease risks and metabolic changes. Specific angiotensin II receptor gene (AGTR1) variations may predict prehypertension and higher blood pressure.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Disease Research
  • Genetics and Hypertension
  • Metabolic Syndrome Studies

Background:

  • The Seventh Joint National Committee defined prehypertension (systolic blood pressure 120-139 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure 80-89 mm Hg) due to elevated cardiovascular disease risk.
  • Prehypertension signifies an increased risk for future cardiovascular events.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate metabolic and inflammatory differences between normotensive and prehypertensive individuals.
  • To determine if angiotensin II receptor type-1 (AGTR1) gene polymorphisms predict prehypertension.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) Twin Hypertension Cohort (N=455).
  • Measured plasma cholesterol, glucose, insulin, leptin, interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), and free fatty acids.
  • Genotyped AGTR1 polymorphisms (A1166C and intron-2 A/G) to assess their association with prehypertension.

Main Results:

  • Prehypertensive subjects were older, had higher body mass index (BMI), and elevated plasma glucose, insulin, and IL-6 compared to normotensives after adjusting for age and sex.
  • The AGTR1 A1166C polymorphism (rs5186), specifically the 1166C allele, predicted a higher likelihood of prehypertension and elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP).
  • A distinct AGTR1 polymorphism (rs22736) correlated with plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and apolipoprotein A-1 levels.

Conclusions:

  • Prehypertensive individuals exhibit early pathophysiological changes indicating future cardiovascular disease risk.
  • AGTR1 gene variations may contribute to the increased risk associated with prehypertension.
  • Further research is warranted to validate these findings and elucidate the exact molecular mechanisms involved.
Abstract

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