Association of genetic variants with myocardial infarction in individuals with or without hypertension or diabetes mellitus

Hypertension and diabetes mellitus are important risk factors for myocardial infarction (MI). The purpose of the present study was to identify genetic variants that confer susceptibility to MI in individuals with or without hypertension or diabetes mellitus, thereby contributing to the personalized prevention of MI in such individuals. The study population comprised 5,835 unrelated Japanese individuals, including 1,339 subjects with MI and 4,496 controls. The 150 polymorphisms were selected by genome-wide association studies of MI and ischemic stroke with the use of the GeneChip Human Mapping 500K Array Set. The genotypes for these polymorphisms were determined by a method that combines the polymerase chain reaction and sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes with suspension array technology. The chi-square test, multivariable logistic regression analysis with adjustment for covariates, as well as a stepwise forward selection procedure revealed that three different polymorphisms were significantly (P<0.005) associated with the prevalence of MI in individuals with or without hypertension or diabetes mellitus: the C↷T polymorphism of CLEC16A (rs9925481) in individuals without hypertension, the A↷G polymorphism of SEMA3F (rs12632110) in individuals without diabetes mellitus and the A↷G polymorphism of ALOX5 (rs7913948) in individuals without hypertension or diabetes mellitus. No polymorphism was significantly associated with MI in individuals with hypertension, in those with diabetes mellitus, or in those with both conditions. Stratification of subjects based on hypertension or diabetes mellitus may thus be important in order to achieve personalized prevention of MI with the use of genetic information.