Genetic and environmental determinants of longitudinal stability of arterial stiffness and wave reflection: a twin study. Issue 12 (December 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pucci, Giacomo; Tarnoki, Adam D.; Medda, Emanuela; Tarnoki, David L.; Littvay, Levente; Maurovich-Horvat, Pal; Jermendy, Adam L.; Godor, Erika; Fejer, Bence; Hernyes, Anita; Lucatelli, Pierleone; Fanelli, Fabrizio; Farina, Filippo; Baracchini, Claudio; Meneghetti, Giorgio; Jermendy, Gyorgy; Merkely, Bela; Schillaci, Giuseppe; Fagnani, Corrado; Stazi, Maria A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of hypertension. Volume 36:Issue 12(2018:Dec.)
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Subjects: ageing -- arterial function -- arterial stiffness -- blood pressure -- genetics -- hypertension -- longitudinal study -- twin study -- wave reflection; Hypertension -- Periodicals; Hypertension -- Periodicals; 616.132005
• DOI: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000001869
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1473-5598

Abstract

Abstract : Background: We aimed at evaluating the impact of genetic and environmental factors on longitudinal changes in aortic pulse wave velocity (aPWV) and aortic augmentation index (aAIx). Method: Three hundred and sixty-eight Italian and Hungarian adult twins (214 monozygotic, 154 dizygotic) underwent repeated evaluations of aPWV and aAIx (TensioMed Arteriograph). Within-individual/cross-wave, cross-twin/within-wave and cross-twin/cross-wave correlations were calculated; bivariate Cholesky models were fitted to calculate additive genetic ( A ), shared environmental ( C ) and unique environmental ( E ) components. Results: For both aPWV and aAIx, cross-twin correlations in monozygotic pairs ( r between 0.35 and 0.56) were all significant and always higher than in dizygotic pairs, both at wave 1 and at wave 2. Heritability and unshared environmental proportion of variance at each wave were substantially time-invariant for aPWV (heritability 0.51, 95% CI 0.36–0.63 at wave 1; 0.49, 95% CI 0.34–0.62 at wave 2), whereas for aAIx, we observed a diminished genetic effect (heritability 0.57, 95% CI 0.45–0.67 at wave 1; 0.37, 95% CI 0.21–0.51 at wave 2). Overlapping genetic factors explained a high proportion (0.88, 95% CI 0.61–1.00) of longitudinal covariance for aPWV, and had a relatively lower impact on aAIx (0.55, 95% CI 0.35–0.70). Genetic correlations of aPWV ( r = 0.64, 95% CI 0.42–0.85) and aAIx ( r = 0.70, 95% CI 0.52–0.87) between waves were lower than 1, suggesting a potential contribution of novel genetic variance on arterial stiffening. Conclusion: Changes in aPWV and aAIx over time are largely genetically determined. Our results might stimulate further studies on genetic and epigenetic factors influencing the process of vascular ageing.