Obesity may modify the link between the hepatic lipase gene C(-514)T polymorphism and coronary heart disease risk in diabetes.

“The -514 C to T polymorphism of the hepatic lipase gene (LIPC) has been associated with lowered LIPC activity and elevated HDL-cholesterol concentrations. Previous findings on the association of this polymorphism with the risk of CHD are inconsistent.

Moreover, data on this association among diabetic patients are limited. We investigated the association of the LIPC polymorphism with CHD risk among U.S. diabetic men and evaluated whether this association was modified by adiposity status,” investigators in the United States report.

“The case group consisted of 220 diabetic men who were recruited from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (years 1986-2000) and were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline, but subsequently developed CHD. A total of 641 diabetic men from the same study but without cardiovascular disease constituted the control group,” wrote C. Zhang and colleagues, Harvard University.

The diabetologists found “No overall association between the LIPC polymorphism and CHD risk was observed. However, we did observe a significant interaction between this polymorphism and BMI in association with CHD risk.

“Among obese men, after adjustment for age, duration of diabetes and major lifestyle factors, the CT or TT genotype was associated with an increased CHD risk compared with the CC genotype (odds ratio [OR] 2.52, 95% CI 1.08-5.90); the corresponding ORs (95% CI) were 0.99 (0.58, 1.69) for overweight men (25(>=)BMI <30 kg/m(2)) and 0.37 (0.17, 0.79) for lean men (BMI <25 kg/m(2)) (p for interaction 0.001). Stratified analyses by waist circumference (tertiles) showed a similar pattern of interaction (adjusted p for interaction 0.023).”

The researchers concluded, “These data suggest that obesity may modify the association between the LIPC C(-514)T polymorphism and CHD risk among diabetic men.”

Zhang and colleagues published their study in Diabetologia (Genetic variation in the hepatic lipase gene and the risk of coronary heart disease among U.S. diabetic men: potential interaction with obesity. Diabetologia, 2006;49(7):1552-1559).

For additional information, contact C. Zhang, Harvard University, School Public Health, Dept. of Nutrition, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.

The publisher of the journal Diabetologia can be contacted at: Springer, 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013, USA.