Polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and angiotesinogen (AGT) genes and their associations with blood pressure and carotid artery intima media thickness among healthy Finnish young adults—the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study

• Published in: Atherosclerosis 2006-10, Vol.188 (2), p.316-322
• Main Authors: Islam, Md. Shaheenul, Lehtimäki, Terho, Juonala, Markus, Kähönen, Mika, Hutri-Kähönen, Nina, Kainulainen, Katariina, Miettinen, Helena, Taittonen, Leena, Kontula, Kimmo, Viikari, Jorma S.A., Raitakari, Olli T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Angiotensin converting enzyme; Angiotensinogen; Angiotensinogen - genetics; Apolipoproteins - analysis; Atherosclerosis (general aspects, experimental research); Biological and medical sciences; Blood and lymphatic vessels; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - genetics; Body Mass Index; C-Reactive Protein - analysis; Cardiology. Vascular system; Carotid Arteries - cytology; Coronary heart disease; Female; Finland; Heart; Humans; Intima media thickness; Lipids - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Neurology; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A - genetics; Polymorphism, Genetic; Polymorphisms; Tunica Intima - cytology; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system
• ISSN: 0021-9150; 1879-1484
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2005.11.008

The roles of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) insertion–deletion (I/D) and angiotensinogen (AGT) m235t polymorphisms in cardiovascular diseases have been investigated extensively during the past decade but results have been inconsistent. A sex-specific association between the ACE I/D polymorphism and systolic blood pressure (BP) was seen among Finnish children and adolescents previously. We investigated if these polymorphisms associate with the BP and carotid artery intima media thickness (IMT) in the same cohort during their adulthood. IMT data were available for 224 ACE I/D genotyped individuals and 202 AGT m235t genotyped individuals. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values did not differ between ACE and AGT genotypes. Age and BMI adjusted mean IMT was 0.02 (95% CI: −0.05 to 0.02, p = 0.33) and 0.03 mm (95% CI: −0.07 to 0.001, p = 0.06) lower among the ID and DD genotype groups, respectively, compared to the II genotype group. MT and TT genotype groups had 0.02 mm (95% CI: −0.01 to 0.05, p = 0.17) higher and 0.01 mm (95% CI: −0.04 to 0.02, p = 0.59) lower mean IMT, respectively, compared to the MM genotype group. We conclude that ACE I/D and AGT m235t polymorphisms are not associated with carotid IMT in healthy young Finnish adults.