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Open Access 01-12-2022 | Hypertension | Research article

Interactions among maternal smoking, breastfeeding, and offspring genetic factors on the risk of adult-onset hypertension

Authors: Jingjia Liang, Zuqiang Fu, Qian Liu, Yuehong Shen, Xin Zhang, Zhenkun Weng, Jin Xu, Wenxiang Li, Cheng Xu, Yong Zhou, Aihua Gu

Published in: BMC Medicine | Issue 1/2022

Abstract

Background

Previous studies have reported that maternal smoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding may affect the occurrence of hypertension, but whether early life factors modify the impact of the offspring’s genetic risk on hypertension is still unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships among maternal smoking and breastfeeding with adult-onset hypertension and the modified impact of offspring genetic susceptibility.

Methods

This study included 437,185 participants from the UK Biobank who were initially free of hypertension and provided a prospective cohort of individuals aged 40 to 69 years. The association of maternal smoking during pregnancy and breastfeeding with hypertension was examined by using the Cox regression model. Then, a polygenic risk score (PRS) for hypertension was used to test the gene–environmental interaction on hypertension.

Results

During a median follow-up period of 8.7 years, a total of 68,148 cases of hypertension were identified in this study. The hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of hypertension for maternal smoking and breastfeeding were 1.11 (1.09, 1.13) and 0.96 (0.94, 0.98), respectively. However, no evidence of an interaction between maternal smoking and breastfeeding was observed. Across all levels of genetic risk, including high genetic risk, maternal smoking and nonbreastfeeding had higher hypertension hazards than nonmaternal smoking and breastfeeding, respectively. The adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of hypertension were 1.80 (1.73, 1.87) in those who had high genetic predisposition plus maternal smoking and 1.67 (1.60–1.74) in those with nonbreastfeeding and high genetic risk. There were significant additive interactions between maternal smoking or breastfeeding and genetic factors on the incidence of hypertension.

Conclusions

Maternal smoking and nonbreastfeeding were associated with a higher risk of hypertension in adulthood and may attenuate the risk of hypertension related to genetic factors. These results suggested that adherence to nonmaternal smoking and breastfeeding was associated with a lower risk of hypertension among participants with all gradients of genetic risk.

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Title: Interactions among maternal smoking, breastfeeding, and offspring genetic factors on the risk of adult-onset hypertension
Authors: Jingjia Liang
Zuqiang Fu
Qian Liu
Yuehong Shen
Xin Zhang
Zhenkun Weng
Jin Xu
Wenxiang Li
Cheng Xu
Yong Zhou
Aihua Gu
Publication date: 01-12-2022
Publisher: BioMed Central
Keywords: Hypertension
Hypertension
Published in: BMC Medicine / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1741-7015
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-022-02648-y

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Interactions among maternal smoking, breastfeeding, and offspring genetic factors on the risk of adult-onset hypertension

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on sleep in brain health

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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