Genetically Low Antioxidant Protection and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease and Heart Failure in Diabetic Subjects

SOD3 R213G heterozygosity was associated with a 2-fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease and heart failure.
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This association was observed in diabetic subjects, but not in non-diabetic subjects.
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This could provide further insight on the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease and heart failure in diabetes.
Diabetic patients have high risk of cardiovascular disease, possibly due to increased oxidative stress. The SOD3 enzyme is an important extracellular antioxidant in blood vessel walls. A rare mutation in the SOD3 gene causes the enzyme to diffuse from vessel walls into the blood stream. In diabetic subjects, we found a 2-fold higher risk of cardiovascular disease and heart failure among those with the rare SOD3 variant compared to those with the normal variant, with no effect of the variant among non-diabetic subjects. This could help provide further insight on the mechanisms underlying cardiovascular disease and heart failure in diabetes.