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Hypertension affects populations globally and is thus a public health and socio-economic problem. Macronutrient and micronutrient deficiencies are common in the general population, and may be even more prevalent in hypertensive patients. This study aimed to determine a possible association between hypertension and intake of fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. Participants were from the cross-sectional Hortega nutrition study conducted with a random sample of 1514 people (50.3% women, 49.7% men) and two groups: nonhypertensive controls≥40 years old (n=429; 28.3%); unknown untreated hypertension cases≥40 years old (n=246; 16.2%). Biochemical and anthropometric measurements were taken. Data on dietary intakes, education, socio-economic status, place of residence, health habits, comorbidities, alcohol consumption and smoking were collected and assessed. A descriptive data study was done and compared by ANOVA and Chi-Square. No p value higher than 0.05 was considered significant. The results showed that vitamin A intake was higher in the hypertensive subpopulation (1732.77±962.27 µg vs. 1655.89±902.81 µg), and vitamin D and E intakes were lower (8.13±9.71 µg vs. 8.25±9.52 µg and 18.79±7.84 mg vs. 18.60±8.20 mg, respectively). No statistically significant differences were found in any adjusted model. This study did not significantly associate intake of vitamins A, D and E with hypertension in people aged over 40. Future studies on this topic and a larger sample are necessary.

Background: The objective was to investigate the association between BMI and single nucleotide polymorphisms previously identified of obesity-related genes in two Spanish populations. Forty SNPs in 23 obesity-related genes were evaluated in a rural population characterized by a high prevalence of obesity (869 subjects, mean age 46 yr, 62% women, 36% obese) and in an urban population (1425 subjects, mean age 54 yr, 50% women, 19% obese). Genotyping was assessed by using SNPlex and PLINK for the association analysis., Results: Polymorphisms of the FTO were significantly associated with BMI, in the rural population (beta 0.87, p-value <0.001). None of the other SNPs showed significant association after Bonferroni correction in the two populations or in the pooled analysis. A weighted genetic risk score (wGRS) was constructed using the risk alleles of the Tag-SNPs with a positive Beta parameter in both populations. From the first to the fifth quintile of the score, the BMI increased 0.45 kg/m2 in Hortega and 2.0 kg/m2 in Pizarra. Overall, the obesity predictive value was low (less than 1%)., Conclusion: The risk associated with polymorphisms is low and the overall effect on BMI or obesity prediction is minimal. A weighted genetic risk score based on genes mainly acting through central nervous system mechanisms was associated with BMI but it yields minimal clinical prediction for the obesity risk in the general population.

There is evidence that uncontrolled arterial hypertension (AHT) in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) increases cardiovascular risks. The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) and its polymorphisms apparently confer a genetic risk for uncontrolled AHT. This study aims to investigate the influence of RAAS polymorphisms on AHT control in patients diagnosed with MS. This is a two-stage population-based nested case-control pilot study (n=1514). We differentiated between MS-diagnosed patients and non-MS patients (ATP-III criteria) and selected those individuals diagnosed with AHT from each group (n=161 and n=156, respectively). Those who successfully controlled their AHT (controls) and those who did not were compared. In the MS population, the C/G and G/G genotypes of single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1040288 (NR3C2) and A/G and G/G of rs11099680 (NR3C2) were associated with uncontrolled AHT (odds ratio (OR)=2.94 (1.34-6.47) and OR=2.54 (1.09-5.93), respectively). According to Akaike's information criteria, the best adjusted model included gender and age as confounding variables (adjusted OR (ORa)=2.91 (1.31-6.46) and ORa=2.67 (1.13-6.31), respectively). Regarding rs1040288, an ORa of 4.03 (1.44-11.26) was obtained for the saturated model (adjusted for gender, age, waist-to-hip ratio, body mass index, biochemical profile, renal damage, smoking habit and anti-AHT treatment). Yet, when the same analysis was performed on the non-MS population, no association was found between rs11099680 and the failure to control AHT. The results reveal a possible association between the rs11099680 RAAS polymorphism and uncontrolled AHT in MS-diagnosed patients. rs1040288 appears to be associated with uncontrolled blood pressure regardless of MS profile.