Interaction of gender and body mass index (BMI) reveals evidence of linkage for hypertension in the Framingham Heart Study
2003

Linkage Study of Hypertension and BMI in Framingham Heart Study

Sample size: 2898 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Denise Daley, Shannon R Edwards, Yeunjoo Song, Dan Baechle, Sobha Puppala, JH Schick, Jane M Olson, Katrina AB Goddard

Primary Institution: Case Western Reserve University

Hypothesis

Does the interaction between gender and body mass index (BMI) influence the genetic linkage for hypertension?

Conclusion

Including covariates like gender and BMI in linkage analysis significantly improves the detection of genetic regions associated with hypertension.

Supporting Evidence

  • Significant evidence for linkage was found on chromosome 2 at 74 cM.
  • The study identified suggestive evidence of linkage on chromosomes 1, 4, 12, 15, 18, 19, 20, and 22.
  • The interaction of BMI with gender was highly significant (p = 0.009).
  • The study utilized a covariate-based affected relative pair approach to improve linkage detection.

Takeaway

This study found that how much you weigh and whether you are a boy or a girl can change the chances of having high blood pressure because of your genes.

Methodology

The study used a covariate-based affected relative pair approach to analyze phenotypic and genotypic data from the Framingham Heart Study.

Limitations

Candidate genes were not evaluated in most regions, and the study may not account for all genetic variations influencing hypertension.

Participant Demographics

1174 individuals with hypertension (562 males and 612 females) were analyzed.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.009

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2156-4-S1-S45

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