Journal
JOURNAL OF HUMAN HYPERTENSION
Volume 26, Issue 12, Pages 737-743Publisher
NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP
DOI: 10.1038/jhh.2011.103
Keywords
ethnicity; L-arginine; blood pressure; arterial compliance
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The aetiology for an increasing incidence of hypertensive cardiovascular disease amongst Africans in southern Africa is unclear. Hypertension may be induced by inadequate release of L-arginine-derived nitric oxide impairing vascular tone regulation. In addition, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is associated with cardiovascular disease. We compared profiles of L-arginine in African and Caucasian men of similar age with cardiovascular risk factors. We studied 163 Caucasian and 132 African men, respectively, (20 to 70 years) measuring serum L-arginine, ADMA, creatinine, urea, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and blood pressure. L-arginine levels were significantly lower, whereas blood pressure and pulse wave velocity were significantly higher in African men. Simple linear regression showed ADMA more strongly associated with L-arginine in Caucasians (r = 0.59 vs 0.19), whereas association of SDMA with L-arginine was significant only in Caucasians (r = 0.43 vs 0.001). The stronger association of L-arginine with ADMA in Caucasian men was confirmed by multiple regression analysis (beta = 0.46 vs 0.25). Our findings show that the relationship of cardiovascular risk factors with serum L-arginine and some of its catabolites is different in African and Caucasian men and that this may be associated with a relatively higher prevalence of hypertension in African men.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available