The Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Genetic Variant rs5068 Is AssociatedWith a Favorable Cardiometabolic Phenotype in aMediterranean Population

OBJECTIVEdWe hypothesized that the minor allele of the atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) genetic variant rs5068 is associated with a favorable cardiometabolic phenotype in a general Mediterranean population. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSdWe genotyped a random sample of the resi-dents of Ventimiglia di Sicilia, Sicily, for rs5068. RESULTSdGenotype frequencies of rs5068 are AA, 93.5%; AG, 6.4%; and GG, 0.1%. All subsequent analyses are AA versus AG+GG. After adjusting for age and sex, the minor G allele is associated with lower BMI (estimate [SE]: 21.7 kg/m2 [0.8], P = 0.04). In the AG+GG group, males with HDL cholesterol levels,40mg/dL are less frequent (P = 0.05) and obesity tends to be less prevalent (P = 0.07). Importantly, the G allele is associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome (P = 0.02). After adjusting for BMI, the above associations were attenuated. Independently of age, sex, and BMI, the minor allele is also associated with lower systolic blood pressure (26.0 mmHg [2.5], P = 0.02) and lower prevalence of hypertension (odds ratio 0.41 [95 % CI 0.20–0.83], P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONSdThe association between the minor allele of rs5068 and a favorable car