Our pathway analysis identified two associated pathways in the EA part of the sample: eNOS and AMPK signaling (Figure 4). The eNOS pathway is important for blood pressure regulation and vascular disorders. AMPK has been tied directly to some nicotine effects, including effects on energy balance that might contribute to the effects of nicotine on weight loss (38) and its anti-inflammatory effects (39). Somewhat surprisingly, there were no significant pathway associations identified in the AA part of the sample, despite the greater number of GWS SNPs in this population.
