Polymorphism of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and BMI in obese Korean women

Background: The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) plays a role in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases. This system was recently found to be completely expressed in human adipose tissue. Especially angiotensin II, the active component of RAS, may affect adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolism. We examined whether obese and non-obese subjects differ from angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) genotype distribution, and whether the ACE genotypes affect the anthropometric parameters or the degrees of body mass index (BMI). Methods: The study included 155 obese healthy women (BMI≥25 kg/m 2, range 25–54.7, age range 15–40 years), 82 non-obese women (BMI