R. Cooper et al., ACE, ANGIOTENSINOGEN AND OBESITY - A POTENTIAL PATHWAY LEADING TO HYPERTENSION, Journal of human hypertension, 11(2), 1997, pp. 107-111
The renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a crucial role in the regulat
ion of fluid volume, thereby influencing blood pressure (BP). Obesity
is an important risk factor for hypertension, however the physiologic
basis for this relationship has not been clarified. In a population su
rvey we examined the potential relationship between the RAS and obesit
y. Based on community sampling, 449 individuals were recruited from me
tropolitan Kingston, Jamaica. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE
) and circulating angiotensinogen levels were measured and the associa
ted genes were typed for previously described polymorphisms. Obese ind
ividuals (body mass index >31) had significantly higher serum ACE and
angiotensinogen levels, this relationship persisted for ACE in multiva
riate analyses controlling for BP, hypertension status, age, and gende
r. The insertion/deletion polymorphism of the ACE gene was associated
with variation in the levels of ACE, but inconsistently with body mass
index. Variants of the angiotensinogen gene leading to amino acid sub
stitutions at positions 174 and 235 did not influence levels either of
angiotensinogen or obesity. These data suggest that obesity may alter
the levels of ACE and angiotensinogen, and provide a potential pathwa
y through which obesity leads to elevation of BP.