Joint effects of arterial stiffness and polygenic risk on kidney function: the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort

Arterial stiffness may contribute to decline in kidney function, but it is unknown whether the association of arterial stiffness with kidney function might be influenced by genetic risk. We aimed to investigate the association of arterial stiffness evaluated by brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and polygenic score (PRS) with kidney function and the interaction between baPWV and PRS in middle-aged and older Chinese adults.

We included 13,494 participants with an average age of 68 years from the Dongfeng-Tongji cohort in 2018. A PRS was calculated using 67 variants associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

A total of 1,939 (14.4%) participants were defined as chronic kidney disease (CKD) (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m²). Increased baPWV or PRS was dose-dependently associated with lower eGFR or higher risk of CKD. Compared to the participants with baPWV <1,400 cm/s, the β coefficient of eGFR was -1.755 (95% CI, -2.716, -0.794) and odds ratio (OR) of CKD was 1.39 (95% CI, 1.15-1.69) in participants with baPWV ≥1,800 cm/s, with stronger associations among those with PRS in the top quintile than the bottom quintile. The combination of baPWV ≥1,800 cm/s and the top quintile of PRS was associated with decreased eGFR (β, -5.317; 95% CI, -7.161, -3.472) and increased odds of CKD (OR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.19-2.55). No interaction between baPWV and PRS on kidney function was found.

BaPWV was associated with both reduced eGFR and elevated CKD risk, especially in the participants with high genetic risk.