What This Means
This study looked at whether inherited differences in two genes, ENHO (which makes adropin, a protein thought to protect blood vessels) and EDN1 (which makes endothelin-1, a molecule that constricts blood vessels), are linked to blood vessels aging earlier than expected. It included 300 adults aged 25-55, half with type 2 diabetes and half without. Early vascular aging was defined using an estimate of arterial stiffness based on age.
The researchers found that all four gene variants they tested were linked to early vascular aging, and two stayed significant after statistical correction for multiple testing. Combining the variants into a genetic risk score, each additional risk allele raised the odds of early vascular aging by 69%. People with higher genetic scores tended to have lower adropin, higher endothelin-1, and a more unfavorable balance between the two. This imbalance statistically accounted for about half of the link between genetics and early vascular aging, and the balance measure distinguished people with early vascular aging better than the genetic score did.
This research suggests that inherited variation may help shape a blood-vessel balance relevant to early vascular aging, in people both with and without diabetes. However, the study was in a single group of people and showed association, not proof of cause. The authors state that the findings need independent replication before being used clinically.