Relationships Between Selected Gene Polymorphisms and Blood Pressure Sensitivity to Weight Loss in Elderly Persons With Hypertension

Salt sensitivity, the heterogeneity in the response of blood pressure (BP) to alterations in sodium intake, has been studied extensively, whereas weight sensitivity, the heterogeneity in BP response to weight change, has received scant attention. We examined the relationship of 21 gene polymorphisms previously found to be associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or obesity, with weight sensitivity in the Trial of Nonpharmacologic Interventions in the Elderly, where participants with hypertension were randomized to receive intensive dietary intervention of sodium reduction, weight loss, both, or attention control, whereas pharmacological therapy was kept constant. After correcting for multiplicity, we identified significant associations of 3 polymorphisms with weight sensitivity of systolic BP (rs4646994, rs2820037, and rs1800629) and 3 polymorphisms for diastolic BP (rs4646994, rs2820037, and rs5744292). A recursive partitioning algorithm selected the combination of rs4646994, rs1800629, rs1982073, and rs1800896 as the set associated with the highest weight sensitivity. Polymorphisms related to hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus are associated with weight sensitivity of BP.