Do gene-environment interactions influence fasting plasma lipids? A study of twins
Abstract
The aims of this study were to determine the influence of smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on lipids, independently of genetic factors, and to detect whether gene-environment interactions influence these associations. Fasting plasma total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoproteins AI and B and lipoprotein(a) were measured in 685 female twins (96 monozygotic, 230 dizygotic pairs and 33 singletons). Smokers had higher triglyceride and lower HDL cholesterol levels than never-smokers (P < 0.001). After controlling for genetic influences, smoking accounted for 0.35 mmol L(-1) and 0.22 mmol L(-1) differences in triglyceride and HDL cholesterol levels, respectively (P < 0.005), remaining significant after excluding alcohol-discordant twin pairs. In a gene-environment interaction analysis, the association between smoking and triglycerides was exaggerated in subjects at high genetic risk of hypertriglyceridaemia (interaction P=0.04). All levels of alcohol consumption were associated with higher HDL cholesterol levels than abstinence, but only moderate alcohol consumers had lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In monozygotic twins concordant...Continue Reading
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Serum cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein B (APOB)-containing lipoproteins (very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), immediate-density lipoprotein (IDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), lipoprotein A (LPA)) and the total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratio are all connected in diseases. Here is the latest research.