Gene and dietary calcium interaction effects on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity

Understanding the lifestyle and genetic factors that affect pulse wave velocity (PWV) may provide clues to preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular events. The aim of this study is to investigate genome-wide genetic and dietary calcium (Ca) intake interaction effects on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).

The baPWV was measured, and Ca intake was quantified by administering a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to 3198 participants, which included men and women (≥40 years) from the Korean Multi-Rural communities Cohort study (MRCohort). The interaction effects of dietary Ca intake and 19 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on baPWV were assessed using the general linear models.

Dietary Ca intake was not significantly associated with baPWV or any type of SNP among the subjects herein. In men, however, the adducin1 (ADD1) rs4961_C SNP had a significant dietary Ca intake-dependent effect on mean baPWV (pinteraction = 0.002). In women, the interaction of zinc finger proteins 618 (ZNF618) rs10817542_A with dietary Ca intake played a significant and key role in mean baPWV (pinteraction = 0.001). In the results of ADD1 rs4961_C in men and ZNF618 rs10817542_A in women, the minor allele-lowest Ca intake tertile (T1) group had significantly higher mean baPWV value than other subgroups of Ca intake tertile-genotype cross-classification whereas genotype was not a significant effector on mean baPWV values among highest Ca intake subgroups (T3).

The baPWV, a phenotype of arterial stiffness, can be modulated in subjects through regulation of dietary Ca intake, particularly in subjects with more vulnerable genotypes.