HDCN Article Review/Hyperlink

Benetos A, Gautier S, Ricard S, Topouchian J, et al

Influence of ACE and Angiotensin II type 1 receptor gene polymorphisms on aortic stiffness in normotensive and hypertensive patients

Circulation (Aug) 94:698-703 1996

There are three papers in the Septemer 15 issue of Circulation pertaining to ACE and related gene polymorphisms and their clinical implications. The cited paper by Benetos et al measured aortic rigidity in normotensive and hypertensive patients. The ACE D allele was associated with higher aortic rigidity, but only in hypertensive patients and only after adjustment for blood pressure, and the association albeit significant, was rather weak. A much stronger association with aortic rigidity was found for the AII type 1 receptor C allele and aortic rigidity; this association was independent of blood pressure.

In a related study by Hosoi et al , carotid, but not femoral, intimal plus medial thickness was increased in patients carrying the D allele (DD or ID genotype) in NIDDM patients. Finally, in the third study by Samani et al , a meta-analysis of 15 studies focusing on the relationship between ACE genotype and myocardial infarction (MI) found that the ACE D allele is associated with in increased risk of MI. (John T. Daugirdas, M.D., University of Illinois at Chicago)