Objective: To investigate the relationship between angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and diabetic essential hypertension in elderly population.
Methods: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used in 260 elderly normal control patients, 205 elderly hypertensive patients and 138 elderly diabetic hypertensive patients to detect the I/D polymorphism in ACE gene.
Results: DD genotype frequency (0.352) and D allele frequency (0.543) in elderly hypertensive patients were higher than those in the normal control patients. DD genotype (0.421) and D allele frequency (0.579) in elderly diabetic hypertensive patients were significantly higher than those in the control patients (0.133 and 0.250). The differences of DD genotype and D allele frequency between the elderly hypertensive patients and the elderly diabetic hypertensive patients were not significant (P > 0.05).
Conclusion: ACE gene deletion is a risk factor for hypertension but is not a risk factor for diabetes in elderly population.