Association between KCNJ11 E23K genotype and cardiovascular and glucose metabolism phenotypes in older men and women.

Our objective was to investigate the relationship between the E23K genetic variant in the KCNJ11 gene, which encodes for the Kir6.2 subunit of the inward rectifier K+ channel family, and glucose and insulin metabolism and cardiovascular (CV) function in the sedentary state and their responses to exercise training. Two hundred and fourteen healthy sedentary men and women aged 50-75 years old and free of CV disease and type 2 diabetes underwent baseline testing (maximal oxygen consumption (Vo2max), body composition and glucose tolerance). One hundred and sixty-three of them repeated these tests after 24 weeks of exercise training while on a low-fat diet. At baseline, age, height, body fat, resting systolic blood pressure and all glucose and insulin metabolism markers did not differ among E23K genotype groups. In women at baseline, E23K genotype was associated with body weight, body mass index, Vo2max (ml kg(-1) min(-1), l min(-1)) and maximal minute ventilation. In men at baseline, E23K genotype was significantly associated with maximal heart rate, maximal respiratory exchange ratio and diastolic blood pressure at rest. Numerous glucose and insulin metabolism and CV function phenotypes changed significantly with exercise training in the total population. The E23K genotype did not significantly influence any of these training-induced changes. Thus, the common E23K genetic variant at the KCNJ11 gene locus was significantly associated with CV function in the untrained state, although the associations appear to differ between men and women. However, this variant has no significant effect on training-induced CV and glucose and insulin metabolism adaptations.