Associations between connexin37 gene polymorphism and markers of subclinical atherosclerosis: The Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study

Objective Connexin37 (cx37) C1019T polymorphism has been shown to associate with coronary artery disease in different populations. We investigated whether this polymorphism associates with carotid artery intima–media thickness (IMT), carotid artery compliance (CAC) and brachial artery flow mediated dilatation (FMD) – i.e., early ultrasound markers of subclinical atherosclerosis – in a clinically healthy population of young Finnish adults. Methods and results 1440 individuals from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns study were genotyped and studied using cardiovascular risk factor and ultrasound data obtained in 2001. In linear regression models, no significant association between the cx37 polymorphism and carotid IMT, CAC or brachial artery FMD (ANOVA, p = 0.159, 0.151 and 0.547), respectively, was found in the whole population or in women and men separately. Conclusions The connexin37 C1019T polymorphism is not related with markers of subclinical atherosclerosis in young adults.