Association Between ALDH2 Polymorphisms and the Risk of Diabetes Mellitus in Hypertensive Patients

Background: Aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) polymorphisms have been extensively studied in patients with hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) in recent years. However, it is unclear whether ALDH2 polymorphisms are correlated with the risk of developing DM in patients with HTN. This study was designed to examine the association between ALDH2 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs671 and the risks of DM in patients with HTN.Methods: This study retrospectively analyzed the patients with HTN who were treated in Meizhou People's Hospital from August 2016 to December 2020, 788 HTN patients with DM as case patients, and 1632 HTN patients without DM history as controls. ALDH2 polymorphisms were analyzed using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-gene chip. Differences in ALDH2 genotypes between subjects and controls were compared. To analyze the relationship between ALDH2 genotype and DM risk, multiple logistic regression analysis was performed after adjusting for gender, age, smoking history, and drinking history.Results: The proportion of the G/A plus A/A genotype was significantly higher in patients with DM than in controls (52.8% vs 48.2%, P=0.033). DM patients with G/A genotype had lower LDL-C (P<0.017) than those with G/G genotype. The results of logistic regression analysis indicated that the G/A genotype increased the risk of DM in HTN patients, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 1.209 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.010-1.446) (P=0.038), whereas the G/A plus A/A genotype in the dominant model increased the risk of DM significantly, with an adjusted OR of 1.203 (95% CI 1.013-1.428) (P=0.035).Conclusion: ALDH2 A allele (G/A + A/A genotype) increased the risk of DM in patients with HTN.