Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system gene polymorphisms and hypertension in Hong Kong Chinese

In Chinese populations, hypertension is common and is a major risk factor f or cerebrovascular and coronary heart disease. The renin-angiotensin-aldost erone system (RAAS) helps maintain blood pressure and salt homeostasis and appears important in the pathogenesis of hypertension and some forms of vas cular disease. We investigated three RAAS gene polymorphisms, the angiotens in-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion, angiotensinogen (AGT) M235T and angiotensin LT type 1 receptor A1166C polymorphisms in 232 hypertensive and 178 normotensive Chinese subjects. The hypertensives were generally mo re obese and dyslipidaemic. No significant differences in genotype or allel e frequencies for any of the polymorphisms were identified between the grou ps, nor was there any interactive contribution to blood pressure by the ACE and AGT polymorphisms. However, there were large differences in genotype a nd allele frequencies between the healthy Chinese and published data for eq uivalent Caucasian populations. These findings suggest these polymorphisms are unlikely to be involved in the pathogenesis of hypertension in Chinese.