Diabetes mellitus is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases [1,2]. It increases the risk of atherosclerosis and infarction [3,4].
Among the leading causes are hyperglycemia, hyper-lipidemia (in particular small, low-density lipoproteins of cholesterol) and hypertension associated with diabetes [5]. On the basis of familiarity studies, it has been shown that a considerable part of the cardiovascular risk is under genetic factors control both in non-diabetic [6,7], and in diabetic subjects [8,9].
The CARDIO panel analyzes 8 genetic polymorphisms (or SNPs) whose presence is associated with a greater probability of developing diabetic cardiomyopathy. Genes with variants studied within the CARDIO panel are listed hereafter:
- ADIPOQ: gene that encodes a hormone secreted by adipocytes and regulating the catabolism of fatty acids and glucose.
- TNFAIP3: gene that encodes an enzyme involved in immune and inflammatory responses.
- TNFα: gene that encodes a multifunctional pro-inflammatory cytokine belonging to the TNF superfamily. This cytokine is involved in the regulation of a broad spectrum of biological processes, including proliferation, differentiation, cell apoptosis, lipid metabolism and coagulation.
- Introne9p21: gene not encoding for proteins. These polymorphisms have been associated with the onset of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
- ADIPOR1: gene that encodes the adiponectin receptor. Binding with adiponectin activates a cellular signaling pathway acting on fatty acid oxidation levels and insulin sensitivity.
Recommended for anyone who wants to know genetic predisposition to develop diabetic cardiomyopathy.
References
- Stamler J, Vaccaro O, Neaton JD, Wentworth D. Diabetes, other risk factors, and 12-yr cardiovascular mortality for men screened in the Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial. Diabetes Care. 1993;16(2):434-444.
- Beckman JA, Creager MA, Libby P. Diabetes and atherosclerosis: epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management. JAMA. 2002;287(19):2570-2581.
- Abbott RD, Brand FN, Kannel WB. Epidemiology of some peripheral arterial findings in diabetic men and women: experiences from the Framingham Study. Am J Med. 1990;88(4):376-381.
- Folsom AR, Rasmussen ML, Chambless LE, et al. Prospective associations of fasting insulin, body fat distribution, and diabetes with risk of ischemic stroke. Diabetes Care. 1999;22(7):1077-1083.
- Warram JH, Kopczynski J, Janka HU, Krolewski AS. Epidemiology of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and its macrovascular complications: a basis for the development of cost-effective programs. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 1997;26(1):165-188.
- Shea S, Ottman R, Gabrieli C, Stein Z, Nichols A. Family history as an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 1984;4 (4):793-801.
- Marenberg ME, Risch N, Berkman LF, Floderus B, de Faire U. Genetic susceptibility to death from coronary artery disease in a study of twins. N Engl J Med. 1994;330(15):1041-1046.
- Wagenknecht LE, Bowden DW, Carr JJ, Langefeld CD, Freedman BI, Rich SS. Familial aggregation of coronary artery calcium in families with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes. 2001;50(4):861-866.
- Lange LA, Bowden DW, Langefeld CD, et al. Heritability of carotid artery intima-medial thickness in type 2 diabetes. Stroke. 2002;33(7):1876-1881.