The relation between obesity, abdominal fat deposit and the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene I/D polymorphism and its association with coronary heart disease

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:To analyse the relation between overweight, obesity and fat distribution with I/D polymorphism of the angiotensinconverting enzyme (ACE) gene and its association with coronary heart disease (CHD). DESIGN: Cross-sectional, case-control study. SUBJECTS: A total of 185 cases (141 males) who had suffered at least one episode of CHD and 182 controls (127 males). MEASUREMENTS: Body mass index, waist circumference, blood pressure, plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholestrol and fasting glucose were measured with standard methods, genotyping the I/D polymorphism of ACE gene. RESULTS: Obesity and abdominal fat deposit are associated with CHD in women, but not independently. We have found an association between obesity and abdominal fat deposit with the ACE gene I/D polymorphism in subjects with CHD. Subjects with CHD and DD or ID genotypes have significantly higher prevalence of obesity and abdominal fat deposit and higher values of weight and waist circumference. In addition, the DD and ID genotypes increased crude OR of obesity. The DD and ID genotypes of the ACE gene I/D polymorphism and BMI are independently associated with CHD. CONCLUSION: There is a relation between the type and grade of obesity with the genotypes of the ACE gene I/D polymorphism in subjects with CHD.

Developmental changes in adiposity in toddlers and preschoolers in the GENESIS study and associations with the ACE I/D polymorphism

“…7 In the present study, the effects of the ACE I/D polymorphism on adiposity indices were investigated in a population of toddlers and preschool children. The D-allele was significantly associated with higher scores for three adiposity-related phenotypes (BMI, waist and arm circumference) in girls aged 4-6 years (Table 2), a finding in agreement with previous studies in teenagers 18 and adults, 26,27 where DD individuals showed increased adiposity compared to II and ID genotypes. In boys 3-4 years old, homozygotes for the D-allele were also significantly associated with higher suprailiac skinfold (Table 1), again in agreement with a previous report showing increased adiposity in Italian men of the DD genotype.…”

“…girls aged 4-6 years in the present study) may interact with the ACE I/D polymorphism and in doing so influence body fat accumulation in a similar manner as previously reported in Greek teenage girls. 18 Although the present study provides further support for the ACE I/D polymorphism being a good candidate gene for human obesity, 18,26,27 the precise mechanism by which ACE may produce this effect remains unclear. The primary role of ACE is to convert angiotensin I into angiotensin II (a potent vasoconstrictor).…”

“…14 In the context of obesity, the I/D polymorphism (or another polymorphism in strong linkage disequilibrium with it, if it turns out not to be the functional polymorphism responsible for these associations) may modulate locally produced angiotensin II levels at particular stages of development, resulting in the significant associations found between the I/D polymorphism and adiposity-related phenotypes in this and other studies. 18,26,27 …”

Interaction of Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme Insertion-Deletion Polymorphism and Daily Salt Intake Influences Hypertension in Japanese Men

“…High salt intake has been strongly and independently associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in overweight persons, but not in non-overweight persons (50). Furthermore, current studies suggest that ACE I/D might underlie obesity-associated hypertension (51,52). In the light of these observations, our results might be attributable to the effect of ACE I/D becoming more overt in overweight individuals who were under high salt intake.…”

Circulating ACE is a predictor of weight loss maintenance not only in overweight and obese women, but also in men

“…ACE polymorphisms were found to be associated with body weight, body mass index (BMI), overweight and obesity in white, black and Chinese subjects. 6 --11 The DD genotype of an Alu insertion/ deletion polymorphism in intron 16 of the ACE gene was associated with more spontaneous body weight gain and adiposity over 20 years in middle-aged men, 10 or simply associated with higher (abdominal) adiposity 7 and with greater amounts of subcutaneous fat in adolescent females. 12 However, there is also a controversial study indicating that it is not the DD-but the II-genotype that is related to the prevalence of obesity.…”