Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

BackgroundStudies on the role of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene in the development of hypertension have yielded conflicting results. Recent studies suggested that this gene might have smoking-dependent effects on the development of cardiovascular disease.ObjectiveTo study the relationship between the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism, blood pressure and risk of hypertension in current, former and non-smokers in a population-based cohort.MethodsWe included 2412 non-smokers, 2794 former smokers and 1508 current smokers, all participants in the Rotterdam Study. In each group, we assessed the relationship between the ACE I/D polymorphism, systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures and risk of hypertension. Mean blood pressures and prevalence of hypertension were compared between carriers and non-carriers of the D allele. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, diabetes mellitus, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol and use of antihypertensive medication.ResultsIn non-smokers and former smokers, blood pressure and the risk of hypertension did not differ significantly between genotypes. In smokers, we found a significant increase in SBP in DD carriers (139.6 +/- 22.8 mmHg) compared with II carriers (136.0 +/- 22.7 mmHg) (P = 0.04). No effect of ACE genotype was observed for DBP. The risk of hypertension was significantly increased in smokers who carried one [odds ratio (OR) 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.0 to 1.9; P = 0.05] or two (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.2; P = 0.02) copies of the D allele.ConclusionsThe D allele of the ACE polymorphism is associated with a significantly increased SBP and risk of hypertension in smokers. Our study underlines the importance of gene-environment interactions in the study of candidate genes for hypertension.

Original publication

DOI

10.1097/00004872-200402000-00015

Type

Journal article

Journal

Journal of hypertension

Publication Date

02/2004

Volume

22

Pages

313 - 319

Addresses

Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Keywords

Humans, Hypertension, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A, DNA Transposable Elements, Smoking, Gene Deletion, Blood Pressure, Systole, Genotype, Heterozygote, Polymorphism, Genetic, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Middle Aged, Female, Male