Genetic-Environmental Interaction On Essential Hypertension In Mongolian Population Of China

Background and Objectives Essential hypertension (EH) is a disease with polygenic complex trait, as well as one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and renal diseases, resulting from genetic-environmental interaction. The huge social burden caused by EH has broght about serious concerns in the public.In the past, only environmental risk factors were involved in etiologic studies on EH. Recently, concern for the genes susceptible to EH has been shown by researchers at home and abroad, with progress in molecular biological technology and Human Genome Project. But, results of studies on association between EH and the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion / deletion (ACE I/D) polymorphism and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) gene G894T (Glu298Asp) polymorphism varied. And, few studies were done on genetic-environmental interaction on EH. Therefore, interaction of genetic with environmental factors on EH in Mongolian ethnic of China, a genetic homogeneous population, was studied in this dissertation, to explore its etiology in depth, and to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of EH, reducing its complications and lightening its social and economic burden.Methods A cross-sectional study with methods combining traditional epidemiology and molecular biology was conducted during May to June 2002 in 1099 Mongolian population aged 20 and over living in the rural areas and pastureland of Kezuohouqi Banner, Tongliao, Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, China at least for three generations using cluster sampling. All the subjects were interviewed with questionnaire and their blood specimens were collected for biochemical and genetic determinations with informed consent, including anthropometry, blood pressure, blood indicators of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and the ACE gene I/D polymorphism and eNOS G894T gene (Glu298Asp) polymorphism.Results1. Environmental factors predisposing to EHResults preliminarily showed that major risk factors predisposing to EH in Mongilian population included age, alcohol drinking, overweight and concentric obesity. Logistic regression analysis stratified by age and gender showed that EH associated with alcohol drinking (OR=2.33) and overweight (OR=2.27) in men and associated with overweight (OR=3.59) in women aged under 45. While, EH associated with concentric obesity (OR=2.26) in men and with overweight (OR=2.04) in women aged over 45. No significant...