title: Genetic predisposition to obesity and risk of subclinical atherosclerosis.
abstract: Obesity has been associated with increased common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT), a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis. We assessed the association between genetic predisposition to obesity and CCA IMT. The study included 428 young Chinese adults with CCA IMT measured using a high-resolution B-mode tomographic ultrasound system. We created a genetic risk score (GRS) by summing the risk alleles of 6 obesity-associated genetic variants confirmed in our previous analyses. The GRS was significantly associated with greater CCA IMT (p<0.001) after adjustment for age and gender. Per 2 alleles of the GRS was related to 0.023 mm increment in IMT. The association was attenuated by one half with additional adjustment for obesity status, but remained significant (p=0.009). In addition, we found that blood pressure significantly modified the association between the GRS and CCA IMT (p for interaction=0.001). The associations between the GRS and CCA IMT were stronger in participants with systolic blood pressure (SBP) ≥120 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) ≥80 mmHg (per 2 allele increment of the GRS relating to 0.028 mm greater CCA IMT, p for trend<0.001) than those with SBP<120 mmHg and DBP<80 mmHg (per 2 allele increment of the GRS relating to 0.001 smaller CCA IMT, p for trend=0.930). Our data provides suggestive evidence supporting the potential causal relation between obesity and development of subclinical atherosclerosis. Elevated blood pressure might amplify the adverse effect of obesity on cardiovascular risk.
authors: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine and Metabolic E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities (EISU) and Key Laboratory for Endocrinology and Metabolism of Chinese Health Ministry, Rui-jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai, China.
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Shi
authors: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine and Metabolic E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities (EISU) and Key Laboratory for Endocrinology and Metabolism of Chinese Health Ministry, Rui-jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai, China.. Electronic address: hongjie13d@hotmail.com.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Hong
authors: The Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, and Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
authors: Lu
authors: L
authors: Qi
authors: Laboratory of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences/Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, China.
authors: Bin
authors: B
authors: Cui
authors: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine and Metabolic E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities (EISU) and Key Laboratory for Endocrinology and Metabolism of Chinese Health Ministry, Rui-jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai, China.
authors: Weiqiong
authors: W
authors: Gu
authors: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine and Metabolic E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities (EISU) and Key Laboratory for Endocrinology and Metabolism of Chinese Health Ministry, Rui-jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai, China.
authors: Yifei
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine and Metabolic E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities (EISU) and Key Laboratory for Endocrinology and Metabolism of Chinese Health Ministry, Rui-jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai, China.
authors: Lijuan
authors: L
authors: Li
authors: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine and Metabolic E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities (EISU) and Key Laboratory for Endocrinology and Metabolism of Chinese Health Ministry, Rui-jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai, China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Miao
authors: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine and Metabolic E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities (EISU) and Key Laboratory for Endocrinology and Metabolism of Chinese Health Ministry, Rui-jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai, China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Wang
authors: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine and Metabolic E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities (EISU) and Key Laboratory for Endocrinology and Metabolism of Chinese Health Ministry, Rui-jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai, China.
authors: Weiqing
authors: W
authors: Wang
authors: Shanghai Clinical Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Endocrine and Metabolic E-Institutes of Shanghai Universities (EISU) and Key Laboratory for Endocrinology and Metabolism of Chinese Health Ministry, Rui-jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine,Shanghai, China.; Laboratory of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences/Shanghai Jiao-Tong University School of Medicine, China.
authors: Guang
authors: G
authors: Ning
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D058070:Asymptomatic Diseases; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Blood pressure; Cardiovascular; Genetic susceptibility; Intima–media thickness