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Influence of blood pressure polygenic risk scores and environmental factors on coronary artery disease in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 38, pages 221–227 (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the association of blood pressure polygenic risk scores (BP PRSs) with coronary artery disease (CAD) in a Korean population and the interaction effects between PRSs and environmental factors on CAD. Data were derived from the Cardiovascular Disease Association Study (CAVAS; N = 5100) and the Health Examinee Study (HEXA; N = 58,623) within the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. PRSs for systolic and diastolic BP were calculated with the weighted allele sum of >200 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Multivariable logistic regression models were used. BP PRSs were strongly associated with systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and hypertension in both CAVAS and HEXA (p < 0.0001). PRSSBP was significantly associated with CAD in CAVAS, while PRSSBP and PRSDBP were significantly associated with CAD in HEXA. There was an interaction effect between the BP PRSs and environmental factors on CAD. The odds ratios (ORs) for CAD were 1.036 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.016–1.055) for obesity, 1.028 (95% CI, 1.011–1.045) for abdominal obesity, 1.030 (95% CI, 1.009–1.050) for triglyceride, 1.024 (95% CI, 1.008–1.041) for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and 1.039 for smoking (95% CI, 1.003–1.077) in CAVAS. There was no significant interaction in HEXA, except between PRSDBP and triglyceride (OR, 1.012; 95% CI, 1.001–1.024). BP PRS was associated with an increased risk of hypertension and CAD. The interactions among PRSs and environmental risk factors increased the risk of CAD. Multi-component interventions to lower BP in the population via healthy behaviors are needed to prevent CAD regardless of genetic predisposition.

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Fig. 1: The effect of polygenic risk scores at high versus low risk levels of environmental factors for coronary artery disease.

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Data availability

Raw data are available from the National Biobank of Korea (https://nih.go.kr/biobank/cmm/main/engMainPage.do).

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Acknowledgements

This study was conducted with bioresources from the National Biobank of Korea, the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Republic of Korea (KBN-2021-002).

Funding

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea grant funded by the Korean Government (No. 2020R1A2C1014449).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Health and Society, Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea

    Kyungsook Woo

  2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, 02447, Republic of Korea

    Ji Eun Lim

  3. Department of Nursing, Catholic Kkottongnae University, Cheongju, 28211, Republic of Korea

    Eun Young Lee

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Contributions

KW and EYL designed this study. KW and JEL contributed to the data processing. KW contributed to the statistical analysis and table preparation. All authors contributed to the manuscript writing and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eun Young Lee.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interest.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Before data collection, the Korean Genome and Epidemiology study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Korea National Institute of Health. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants. In addition, the present study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Catholic Kkottongnae University.

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Woo, K., Lim, J.E. & Lee, E.Y. Influence of blood pressure polygenic risk scores and environmental factors on coronary artery disease in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study. J Hum Hypertens 38, 221–227 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41371-023-00878-y

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