Genetic and environmental risks for high blood pressure among African American mothers and daughters.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the relationship between genetic and environmental lifestyle factors (physical activity and sodium) on blood pressure (BP) among African-American women.

METHOD

In this cross-sectional study involving 108 African-American mothers and daughters from a Midwestern area, investigators obtained BP measurements, information on minutes of physical activity, amount of sodium intake, and buccal swab saliva samples.

RESULTS

Of the 4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the sodium bicarbonate cotransporter gene (SLC4A5), rs8179526 had a statistically significant interaction with cytosine/thymine (C/T) genotype by sodium status on systolic BP (SBP; p=.0077). For gene x physical activity interaction, 2 significant interactions (cytosine/adenine [C/A] genotype by physical activity and adenine/adenine [A/A] genotype by physical activity, p=.0107 and p=.0171, respectively) on SBP and 1 on diastolic BP (DBP; A/A genotype by physical activity, p=.0233) were found on rs1017783. Two significant guanine/adenine [G/A] genotype by physical activity interactions were found on rs6731545 for SBP and DBP (p=.0160 and p=.0492, respectively).

DISCUSSION

A gene x environmental interaction with rs8179526 has a protective effect on SBP in African-American women with high sodium intake. Participants with C/T genotype of rs8179526 who consumed greater than 2,300 mg of sodium had lower SBP than those who consumed less than recommended. Women with thymine/thymine (T/T) genotype of rs8179526 who consumed greater than 2,300 mg had lower SBP than those who consumed less. Awareness of both the protective and deleterious properties of rs8179526 in African-American women may one day assist in determining appropriate treatment plans.