Triglyceride concentrations are an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. Apolipoprotein A5 gene (APOA5) has an important role determining triglyceride metabolism and it is a potential cardiovascular risk. However the mechanisms for these actions are not well-known. Despite the different allelic frequency of its major polymorphisms in different populations, multiple studies have shown consistent associations between these variants and fasting triglycerides. Variations in the APOA5 gene have also been associated with postprandial triglycerides, as well as with different sizes of lipoproteins and other markers. Moreover, some of the APOA5 gene variants have been associated with ischemic heart disease, stroke, and carotid intima media thickness, although the references on this issue are scanty and contradictory. This may be due to the presence of gene-environment interactions that have been poorly studied until now. Among the few studies that have examined the infuence of environmental factors on possible genetic variations, the most important are those that contemplate possible gene-diet interactions. However, the evidence is still scarce and more research is required in the feld of nutrigenomics. To understand the impact of this gene on cardiovascular disease, we review the genetic functionality and variability of APOA5, its associations with intermediate and fnal phenotypes and gene-environment interactions detected.

High saturated fat consumption, mostly from red meat and sausage meat has been associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk (CVR) in contrast to the effect of high fish consumption. To get to know the frequency of meat and fish consumption in an elderly high Mediterranean population, their correlations with adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and their association with intermediate CVR phenotypes. A cross-sectional study was carried out on 945 people (67.4±6.2 years old) with high CVR recruited in primary care centres of Valencia, and participating in the PREDIMED study. The frequency of meat and fish consumption was determined through a validated questionnaire. We analyzed clinical, biochemical and anthropometric variables using standard methods. Mean red meat consumption was high (7.4±4.7 times/week), being higher in men than in women (P=0.031) and was associated with greater weight (P=0.001) and prevalence of obesity (P=0.025). Fish consumption was also high (4.5±2.6 time/week) and was associated with lower concentrations of fasting plasma glucose (P=0.016) as well as with lower prevalence of diabetes (P=0.017). Red meat consumption in this high CVR population is very high and far from the recommendations of MD, needing, therefore, to be reduced. Fish consumption is closer to the recommendations and should be maintained.