Folate nutritional genetics and risk for hypertension in an elderly population sample

Xiaowei Ng, Lyndell Boyd, Lisa Dufficy, Nenad Naumovski, Barbara Blades, Cheryl Travers, Peter Lewis, Jonathon Sturm, Zoë Yates, Maureen Townley-Jones, Paul Roach, Martin Veysey, Mark Lucock*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background/Aims: 118 elderly participants (65-90 years) were assessed for any relationship between folate, related genes and hypertension. Methods: Six B-vitamin-related SNPs were genotyped in 80 normotensive and 38 hypertensive subjects. Results: Of six polymorphisms (677C>T-MTHFR, 1298A>C-MTHFR, 80G>A-RFC, 2756A>G-MS, 66A>G- MSR, 19bpDHFR and 1561C>T-GCPII), only 677C>T-MTHFR was a significant risk for hypertension: OR 1.89; 95% CI 1.07-3.32 (χ2 p = 0.038). Additionally, hypertensive subjects had a significantly lower intake of dietary folate than normotensive individuals (p = 0.0221), although this did not markedly alter blood metabolite levels. Several significant linear associations between dietary folate and related blood metabolites were found in normotensive subjects (p < 0.001 for Hcy, red cell and serum folate) and were as predicted on an a priori basis - generally weaker associations existed in hypertensive subjects (p < 0.05 for serum folate). This was true for data examined collectively or by genotype. Multiple-regression analysis for diastolic or systolic blood pressure showed significant interaction for gender and folate intake (p = 0.014 and 0.019, respectively). In both cases this interaction occurred only in females, with higher folate intake associated with decreased blood pressure. Regressing diastolic blood pressure and 677C>T-MTHFR genotype showed significance (males; p = 0.032) and borderline significance (all subjects). Conclusion: Dietary folate and 677C>T-MTHFR genotype may modify blood pressure.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-8
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics
Volume2
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2009
Externally publishedYes

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