Apolipoprotein E polymorphism and preclinical carotid artery disease in untreated hypertensive men

Methods The apolipoprotein E (apoE) polymorphism was evaluated alone, and in interaction with smoking status, in predicting carotid intima-medial thickness and plaque among 182 untreated, hypertensive, white men (mean age 56 +/- 8.9 years). Results After covariate adjustment (age, education, smoking, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucose, total: high-density lipoprotein), apoE genotype (no epsilon 4 versus any epsilon 4) predicted mean (beta = - 0.139, P = 0.023) and maximum (beta = -0.138, P = 0.028) intima-medial thickness, as well as plaque (beta = -0.744; P = 0.072). Tests of a genotype-x-smoking interaction were non-significant. Conclusions Mean intima-medial thickness was greater in men with the 3/3 than epsilon 4 genotypes (2/4 3/4 4/4), suggesting genetic risk for carotid atherosclerosis may be conferred by the epsilon 3, rather than the epsilon 4 allele.