Eight new blood pressure genes identified
12 May 2009
In the study, an international team compared 2.5 million genetic variants from the genomes of over 34 000 people alongside measurements of their blood pressure. They then checked the same regions of the genome in a further 70 000 white European subjects and 12 000 people of South Asian descent.
The researchers found eight genetic variants associated with higher or lower blood pressure. Each, by themselves, has a modest effect but the researchers say that together they have an important influence on a population's risk of stroke or heart attack.
Audio: Professor Mark Caulfield and Professor Patricia Monroe talk about this research [3 min].
They suspect that some of the genes may be involved in the production of steroids, which affect how the kidneys process salt, or influence how the blood vessels control blood pressure.
High blood pressure affects one billion people worldwide, causing at least seven million deaths a year. Some people are genetically prone to the condition, which can be affected by lifestyle factors such as alcohol intake, weight, diet and exercise.
"The lifestyle factors that increase blood pressure are well established, but until now relatively little was known about hereditary factors," said Professor Mark Caulfield of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, a lead author on the study.
"The discovery of genes involved in regulating blood pressure offers new insight into how this complicated system is controlled and could help us to find new treatments."
Image: Pressure gauge of a sphygmomanometer used for taking blood pressure readings from the radial artery of the arm; Wellcome Library, London
Audio: Courtesy of Queen Mary, University of London
References
Newton-Cheh C et al. Genome-wide association study identifies eight loci associated with blood pressure. Nature Genetics 4 March 2009, published online before print.