GxE Interactions between FOXO Genotypes and Tea Drinking Are Significantly Associated with Cognitive Disability at Advanced Ages in China
Author: Yi Zeng and Huashuai Chen and Ting Ni and Rongping Ruan and Lei Feng and Chao Nie and Lingguo Cheng and Yang Li and Wei Tao and Jun Gu and Kenneth C. Land and Anatoli Yashin and Qihua Tan and Ze Yang and Lars Bolund and Huanming Yang and Elizabeth Hauser and D. Craig Willcox and Bradley J. Willcox and Xiao-Li Tian and James W. Vaupel
Logistic regression analysis based on data from 822 Han Chinese oldest old aged 92+ demonstrated that interactions between carrying FOXO1A-266 or FOXO3-310 or FOXO3-292 and tea drinking at around age 60 or at present time were significantly associated with lower risk of cognitive disability at advanced ages. Associations between tea drinking and reduced cognitive disability were much stronger among carriers of the genotypes of FOXO1A-266 or FOXO3-310 or FOXO3-292 compared with noncarriers, and it was reconfirmed by analysis of three-way interactions across FOXO genotypes, tea drinking at around age 60, and at present time. Based on prior findings from animal and human cell models, we postulate that intake of tea compounds may activate FOXO gene expression, which in turn may positively affect cognitive function in the oldest old population. Our empirical findings imply that the health benefits of particular nutritional interventions, including tea drinking, may, in part, depend upon individual genetic profiles.