Adiponectin Genotype, Blood Pressures, and Arterial Stiffness: The Cardiometabolic Risk in Chinese (CRC) Study

The authors examined whether the adiponectin gene (ADIPOQ) variant was associated with blood pressure and arterial stiffness in Chinese adults. A genome-wide association study of the adiponectin variant rs864265 in the ADIPOQ gene was genotyped in a total of 2364 participants. After adjustment for sex, age, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, and lipids, participants carrying the T allele of rs864265 showed a greater increase in carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) and systolic blood pressure (SBP). Further adjustment for blood pressure did not appreciably change the association with cfPWV. The authors found significant interactions between rs864265 and BMI, waist circumference, body fat percentage, and SBP in relation to cfPWV (P for interaction = .035, .001, .003, .013, respectively). The T allele of rs864265 was associated with high blood pressure and arterial stiffness. BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and SBP might modify the effects of genetic polymorphism on arterial stiffness.