Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms at the Adiponectin Locus and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Men and Women

Objective: The objective was to examine the association of 5 common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at the adiponectin locus with risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in men and women. Methods and Procedures: We genotyped five common SNPs in the adiponectin gene ( rs266729 , − 11365C > G ; rs822395 , − 4034A > C ; rs822396 , − 3964A > G ; rs2241766 , + 45T > G ; and rs1501299 , + 276G > T ) in men (Health Professionals Follow‐up Study) and women (Nurses’ Health Study) in a nested case control setting. Among participants free of cardiovascular disease at baseline, 266 men and 249 women developed non‐fatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD during 6 and 8 years of follow‐up, respectively. In addition, 564 men had coronary artery bypass graft surgery or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Using risk set sampling, controls were selected 2:1 matched on age, smoking, and date of blood draw. Results: The −4034CC genotype was related to an increased risk of non‐fatal myocardial infarction or fatal CHD compared with the AA genotype [relative risk (RR), men, 1.69; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.99 to 2.89; women, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.20 to 3.49); however, this genotype was not related to risk of coronary artery bypass graft surgery or percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty or to plasma adiponectin levels. Other SNPs or haplotypes defined by the 5 SNPs were not consistently related to risk of CHD in men and women or to plasma adiponectin levels. Discussion: Our study does not support the hypothesis that these 5 common SNPs in the adiponectin gene play an important role in the development of CHD among men and women, although we cannot exclude an association between the −4034CC genotype and risk of CHD.