Evidence of a Role for One-Carbon Metabolism in Blood Pressure: Can B Vitamin Intervention Address the Genetic Risk of Hypertension Owing to a Common Folate Polymorphism?

Helene McNulty; J. J. Strain; Catherine F. Hughes; Kristina Pentieva; Mary Ward

doi:10.1093/cdn/nzz102

Evidence of a Role for One-Carbon Metabolism in Blood Pressure: Can B Vitamin Intervention Address the Genetic Risk of Hypertension Owing to a Common Folate Polymorphism?

Helene McNulty, J. J. Strain, Catherine F. Hughes, Kristina Pentieva, Mary Ward

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

57 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Hypertension in adulthood is recognized as the leading risk factor contributing to mortality worldwide, primarily from cardiovascular disease, whereas hypertension in pregnancy leads to serious adverse fetal and maternal outcomes. This article explores the under-recognized role of one-carbon metabolism in blood pressure (BP) and the potential for folate-related B vitamins to protect against hypertension. Genome-wide association studies and clinical studies provide evidence linking the 677C→T polymorphism in the gene encoding methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) with BP and increased risk of hypertension and hypertension in pregnancy. A novel role for riboflavin (the MTHFR cofactor) has recently emerged, however, with evidence from randomized trials that supplemental riboflavin can lower BP specifically in adults with the variant MTHFR 677TT genotype. Further studies are required to elucidate the biological mechanisms linking one-carbon metabolism with BP and explore the effect of riboflavin in modulating the genetic risk of hypertension in early and later life.

Original language	English
Article number	nzz102
Number of pages	8
Journal	Current developments in nutrition
Volume	4
Issue number	1
Early online date	16 Sept 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzz102
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - 1 Jan 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The research described in this review was supported in part by governmental funding from the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Health Research Board (under the Food Institutional Research Measure initiative) and from the Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning (under its Strengthening the All-Island Research Base initiative); and by DSM Nutritional Products.

Manuscript received May 7, 2019. Initial review completed July 23, 2019. Revision accepted August 30, 2019. Published online September 16, 2019.

Copyright © American Society for Nutrition 2019. All rights reserved.

Funding

Manuscript received May 7, 2019. Initial review completed July 23, 2019. Revision accepted August 30, 2019. Published online September 16, 2019. The research described in this review was supported in part by governmental funding from the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Health Research Board (under the Food Institutional Research Measure initiative) and from the Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning (under its Strengthening the All-Island Research Base initiative); and by DSM Nutritional Products. Author disclosures: CFH and KP, no conflicts of interest. HM, JJS, and MW hold an international patent on the use of riboflavin in the treatment of blood pressure. None of the entities providing support were involved in the writing of this article. Address correspondence to HM (e-mail: [email protected]). Abbreviations used: 5-methylTHF, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate; BP, blood pressure; CVD, cardiovascular disease; EGRac, erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation coefficient; eNOS, endothelial nitric oxide synthase; GWAS, genome-wide association study; MTHFR, methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase; NO, nitric oxide; PLP, pyridoxal 5’phosphate; PPO, pyridoxine-phosphate oxidase; RBC, red blood cell; THF, tetrahydrofolate.

Keywords

Blood pressure
Folate
Gene–nutrient interaction
Hypertension
Hypertension in pregnancy
MTHFR
One-carbon metabolism
Personalized nutrition
Riboflavin
Single nucleotide polymorphism

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1093/cdn/nzz102Licence: CC BY

nzz102Final published version, 306 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Evidence of a Role for One-Carbon Metabolism in Blood Pressure: Can B Vitamin Intervention Address the Genetic Risk of Hypertension Owing to a Common Folate Polymorphism?",

abstract = "Hypertension in adulthood is recognized as the leading risk factor contributing to mortality worldwide, primarily from cardiovascular disease, whereas hypertension in pregnancy leads to serious adverse fetal and maternal outcomes. This article explores the under-recognized role of one-carbon metabolism in blood pressure (BP) and the potential for folate-related B vitamins to protect against hypertension. Genome-wide association studies and clinical studies provide evidence linking the 677C→T polymorphism in the gene encoding methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) with BP and increased risk of hypertension and hypertension in pregnancy. A novel role for riboflavin (the MTHFR cofactor) has recently emerged, however, with evidence from randomized trials that supplemental riboflavin can lower BP specifically in adults with the variant MTHFR 677TT genotype. Further studies are required to elucidate the biological mechanisms linking one-carbon metabolism with BP and explore the effect of riboflavin in modulating the genetic risk of hypertension in early and later life.",

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note = "Funding Information: The research described in this review was supported in part by governmental funding from the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Health Research Board (under the Food Institutional Research Measure initiative) and from the Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning (under its Strengthening the All-Island Research Base initiative); and by DSM Nutritional Products. Manuscript received May 7, 2019. Initial review completed July 23, 2019. Revision accepted August 30, 2019. Published online September 16, 2019. Copyright {\textcopyright} American Society for Nutrition 2019. All rights reserved.",

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Evidence of a Role for One-Carbon Metabolism in Blood Pressure: Can B Vitamin Intervention Address the Genetic Risk of Hypertension Owing to a Common Folate Polymorphism? / McNulty, Helene ; Strain, J. J.; Hughes, Catherine F. et al.
In: Current developments in nutrition, Vol. 4, No. 1, nzz102, 01.01.2020.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

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T2 - Can B Vitamin Intervention Address the Genetic Risk of Hypertension Owing to a Common Folate Polymorphism?

AU - McNulty, Helene

AU - Strain, J. J.

AU - Hughes, Catherine F.

AU - Pentieva, Kristina

AU - Ward, Mary

N1 - Funding Information: The research described in this review was supported in part by governmental funding from the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Health Research Board (under the Food Institutional Research Measure initiative) and from the Northern Ireland Department for Employment and Learning (under its Strengthening the All-Island Research Base initiative); and by DSM Nutritional Products. Manuscript received May 7, 2019. Initial review completed July 23, 2019. Revision accepted August 30, 2019. Published online September 16, 2019. Copyright © American Society for Nutrition 2019. All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/1/1

Y1 - 2020/1/1

N2 - Hypertension in adulthood is recognized as the leading risk factor contributing to mortality worldwide, primarily from cardiovascular disease, whereas hypertension in pregnancy leads to serious adverse fetal and maternal outcomes. This article explores the under-recognized role of one-carbon metabolism in blood pressure (BP) and the potential for folate-related B vitamins to protect against hypertension. Genome-wide association studies and clinical studies provide evidence linking the 677C→T polymorphism in the gene encoding methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) with BP and increased risk of hypertension and hypertension in pregnancy. A novel role for riboflavin (the MTHFR cofactor) has recently emerged, however, with evidence from randomized trials that supplemental riboflavin can lower BP specifically in adults with the variant MTHFR 677TT genotype. Further studies are required to elucidate the biological mechanisms linking one-carbon metabolism with BP and explore the effect of riboflavin in modulating the genetic risk of hypertension in early and later life.

AB - Hypertension in adulthood is recognized as the leading risk factor contributing to mortality worldwide, primarily from cardiovascular disease, whereas hypertension in pregnancy leads to serious adverse fetal and maternal outcomes. This article explores the under-recognized role of one-carbon metabolism in blood pressure (BP) and the potential for folate-related B vitamins to protect against hypertension. Genome-wide association studies and clinical studies provide evidence linking the 677C→T polymorphism in the gene encoding methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) with BP and increased risk of hypertension and hypertension in pregnancy. A novel role for riboflavin (the MTHFR cofactor) has recently emerged, however, with evidence from randomized trials that supplemental riboflavin can lower BP specifically in adults with the variant MTHFR 677TT genotype. Further studies are required to elucidate the biological mechanisms linking one-carbon metabolism with BP and explore the effect of riboflavin in modulating the genetic risk of hypertension in early and later life.

KW - Blood pressure

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KW - Hypertension in pregnancy

KW - MTHFR

KW - One-carbon metabolism

KW - Personalized nutrition

KW - Riboflavin

KW - Single nucleotide polymorphism

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DO - 10.1093/cdn/nzz102

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:85084127846

SN - 2475-2991

VL - 4

JO - Current developments in nutrition

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ER -

Evidence of a Role for One-Carbon Metabolism in Blood Pressure: Can B Vitamin Intervention Address the Genetic Risk of Hypertension Owing to a Common Folate Polymorphism?

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

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