Prevalence of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (ENOS) gene G894T polymorphism and its association with hypertension: a population-based study with Brazilian women.

INTRODUCTION:Hypertension is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world, accounting for millions of deaths each year. The reduction in the concentration of nitric oxide (NO) produced by the catalysis of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) is associated with higher blood pressure (BP) levels. This reduction might be because of genetic polymorphisms. This study investigated the prevalence of the eNOS gene G894T polymorphism in women from northeast Brazil and its association with hypertension. MATERIAL AND METHODS:This cross-sectional study included 810 women (aged 19-49 years). Sociodemographic, health, anthropometric, and BP data were collected. Hypertension was defined according to the following criteria: systolic BP ≥ 140 mm Hg, diastolic BP ≥ 90 mm Hg, the regular use of antihypertensive medication, or some combination thereof. Epithelial cells from the cheek mucosa were obtained for DNA extraction. Genotyping was performed via real-time PCR. The measure of association was the prevalence ratio (PR) and its 95% CI as calculated via Poisson regression. RESULTS:The frequencies of the GGGTTTGGpGTpTTCONCLUSIONS:The T