Abstract.Background: This work was planned to check for the association of polymorphisms related to methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) genes with overweight/obesity among Saudi subjects from Qassim region. Methods: This work included 130 subjects having overweight or obesity and 111 normal controls. Their age mean ± SD was 27 ± 9.8 and 24 ± 8.8 years respectively. Their DNA was analyzed for polymorphisms of MTHFR; 677C/T and 1298 A/C and ACE; I/D genes using real-time PCR. Results: Genotype and allele frequencies of studied polymorphisms in cases of overweight/obesity showed no significant statistical difference compared to that of controls. However, on analysis of body mass index (BMI), cases showed slightly higher but statistically nonsignificant mean ± SD values among those carrying the mutant MTHFR 677 T allele (CT + TT vs. CC, 30.7 ± 4.5 vs. 29.9 ± 4.9), 1298 C allele (AC + CC vs. AA, 29.9 ± 4.1 vs. 29.7 ± 5.5) and ACE D allele (ID + DD vs. II, 30.0 ± 5.1 vs. 29.1 ± 2.8). In addition controls having the DD and ID genotypes showed higher statistically significant values of BMI than those of the II genotype (22.0 ± 1.9, 21.7 ± 2.6 and 19.5 ± 2.3 respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusion: There is no solid association of polymorphisms related to MTHFR and ACE genes with non-complicated overweight or obesity among Saudi subjects from Qassim Region.

The Saudi population from the Qassim region is a carrier of a relatively large number of genetic alleles predisposing them to hypertension and cardiac diseases. This gives a warning to local health authorities for adoption of competent programs for prevention as well as early diagnosis and management.