615 | id == 615
615 | category_id == 96
615 | category_order == 29
615 | category_name == Blood Pressure
615 | category_color == #C47AC0
615 | slug == TCF7L2-blood-pressure
615 | title == A Genetic Link Between Type 2 Diabetes & High Blood Pressure (TCF7L2)
615 | meta_description == TCF7L2 decreases blood vessel diameter. Variants of TCF7L2 are linked to high blood pressure. Read more here.
615 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong>The <em>TCF7L2</em> gene codes for a protein that decreases blood vessel diameter and in turn, restrains blood flow. How might variants of <em>TCF7L2</em> raise blood pressure? Read more to find out.</strong></p>
615 | overall_score_text == Your Blood Pressure Score (based on TCF7L2 gene)
615 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/TCF7L2-Blood-Pressure.jpg
615 | author_id == 14
615 | author_name == Shany Lahan
615 | author_title == MS (Neuroscience)
615 | author_order == 5
615 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/Shany.webp
615 | author_intro == <p>Shany received her MSc in Neuroscience from Western University.</p>    <p>Prior to joining SelfDecode, Shany conducted research related to Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease, and taught science to undergraduate students. She believes that research should be accessible to everyone, regardless of scientific background. Shany joined SelfDecode&nbsp;with a mission to help others optimize their health and wellbeing &ndash; as well as help them understand the science behind it all.</p>
615 | reviewer == None
615 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
615 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
615 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
615 | publish_date == 2021
615 | publish_date == 1
615 | publish_date == 22
615 | avg_rating == 5.0
615 | tags_id == 138
615 | tags_name == Atherosclerosis
615 | tags_id == 172
615 | tags_name == Blood Pressure
615 | tags_id == 801
615 | tags_name == Blood Sugar
615 | tags_id == 372
615 | tags_name == Blood vessels
615 | tags_id == 152
615 | tags_name == Cholesterol
615 | tags_id == 829
615 | tags_name == Glucose
615 | tags_id == 1139
615 | tags_name == High Blood Pressure
615 | tags_id == 369
615 | tags_name == NF-κB
615 | tags_id == 280
615 | tags_name == TCF7L2 gene
615 | tags_id == 218
615 | tags_name == Triglycerides
615 | permissions_favorite == False
615 | permissions_rate == False
615 | content_article == <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Summary</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TCF7L2</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> codes for a protein that decreases blood vessel diameter by stimulating the inflammatory protein NF-kB. Variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TCF7L2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">may play a role in high blood pressure by increasing TCF7L2 and NF-kB production. Lifestyle and diet modifications may counteract the effects of these variants by lowering the production of TCF7L2 and NF-kB.</span></span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>TCF7L2</em></strong><strong> and Blood Pressure</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/gene/tcf7l2/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TCF7L2</span></em></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">gene codes for transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2), a protein that helps turn genes on or off [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/6934"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele at SNP </span><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs7903146/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">rs7903146</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TCF7L2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene may alter genes that impair the release of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/insulin-101/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">insulin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. Low insulin levels may elevate </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/glucose/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">blood sugar</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and consequently boost inflammatory protein </span><a href="https://selfhack.com/blog/nuclear-factor-kappa-b/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NF-kB</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058059/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17671651/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">NF-kB plays a major role in the progression of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">atherosclerosis</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, a condition characterized by a</span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">buildup of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/triglycerides/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">triglycerides</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/cholesterol/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">cholesterol</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> within arteries [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21636112/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Triglyceride and cholesterol deposits cause arteries to become narrowed, thereby restraining blood flow. As a result, the heart needs to work harder to maintain the flow of blood, and blood pressure rises [</span><a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11918-cholesterol-high-cholesterol-diseases"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Direct TCF7L2 activity may also stimulate NF-kB, as well as influence the growth and division of cells that line blood vessels [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3058059/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Unsurprisingly, variants of </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TCF7L2 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">have been associated with high blood pressure. These variants may increase the production of TCF7L2, stimulate NF-kB, and promote the development of atherosclerosis [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5370207/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0303-9"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17671651/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Your </strong><strong><em>TCF7L2</em></strong><strong> Results for Blood Pressure</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*7509213791834601*</p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Primary SNP:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>TCF7L2 </em></strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs34872471/"><strong>rs34872471</strong></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">[</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5370207/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Higher odds of high blood pressure</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Not associated with high blood pressure</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Other Important SNP:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>TCF7L2 </em></strong><a href="https://selfdecode.com/snp/rs7903146/"><strong>rs7903146</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0303-9"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo;= Higher odds of high blood pressure</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Not associated with high blood pressure</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;">*1547492509418451*</p> <h2 style="text-align: left;"><strong>Recommendations for Lowering Blood Pressure</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;">*1653083057395428*</p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Exercise</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a study of healthy men, a six-month <a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-14-proven-health-benefits-exercise-references-mechanisms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exercise</a> intervention significantly lowered the production of TCF7L2 [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3694844/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Multiple studies show that </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">exercise</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> training may lower blood pressure, both in the first few hours after exercise and in the long term. Exercise guidelines often recommend aerobic exercise most days of the week (at least 150 min/week of moderate activity or 75 min/week of vigorous activity) supplemented with dynamic resistance exercise twice weekly [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27512052/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Meta-analyses estimated blood pressure reductions of 12.26 mmHg (systolic) and 6.12 mmHg (diastolic) from aerobic exercise. The combination of moderate- with high-intensity aerobic exercise (interval training) further enhanced the blood pressure-lowering effects of exercise training [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5369884/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31169988/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32401846/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">As for resistance training, a single bout lowered blood pressure by up to 8.2 mmHg (systolic) and 4.1 mmHg (diastolic) within the first hours after exercise, while continuous resistance training lowered it by 4-5 mmHg (systolic) and 1.7-5 (diastolic). However, resistance training should be used with caution because it increases blood pressure during exercise [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27512052/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28769100/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26467494/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30086274/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exercise modalities such as aquatic exercise, stretching, brisk walking, and tai chi have all been proven effective at lowering blood pressure [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28914562/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7460052/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17275896/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32338292/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In all cases, exercise was more effective in hypertensive people than in those with normal blood pressure values.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Exercise may help lower blood pressure by blocking the production of TCF7L2.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Diet</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Mediterranean Diet</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In a large randomized controlled trial, adherence to a </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/14-mediterranean-diet-health-benefits-food-list/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mediterranean diet</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> significantly lowered blood sugar, triglycerides, and cholesterol in individuals carrying the rs7903146-T variant, suggesting that it may prevent the development of atherosclerosis [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3816851/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Another randomized controlled trial found significant reductions in NF-kB levels of healthy, elderly people, after 3 weeks of following a Mediterranean diet [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22085595/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">A meta-analysis of 30 clinical trials found that adherence to a Mediterranean diet helps prevent heart disease by lowering systolic (by ~3 mmHg) and diastolic (by ~2 mmHg) blood pressure in people with normal values. In those with hypertension, this diet lowered systolic blood pressure by 1.44 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 0.7 mmHg [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6414510/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26483006/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">When compared to other diets, the Mediterranean diet is especially effective at lowering diastolic blood pressure. A meta-analysis found it only effective for this purpose, while another one ranked it 3rd in terms of diastolic pressure-lowering effect (after the DASH and Paleolithic diets) [</span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26902492/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29718689/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">A Mediterranean diet may help lower blood pressure by reducing factors that may contribute to the development of atherosclerosis (blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol, and NF-kB).</span></p>
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615 | content_learn_more_1547492509418451_text == Based on the variants we looked at, your TCF7L2 gene makes you somewhat more likely to develop high blood pressure. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of high blood pressure; it’s just one gene related to it. Adhering to a Mediterranean diet and exercising may help. Keep scrolling to find out more.
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rsIDs = rs7903146,rs34872471
rsStatus = rs7903146,TCF7L2,chr10,112998590,C,G,T,,29,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs34872471,TCF7L2,chr10,112994312,T,C,,,5,23,HET
