Study Identifies Four New Gene Variations Associated with Blood Pressure

A study of nearly 30,000 African Americans has identified four new gene variations associated with blood pressure.

Conducted by the Continental Origins and genetic Epidemiology Network (COGENT) consortium, the largest genome-wide association study of blood pressure in individuals of African ancestry, the report is one of the first to focus on those of African descent.

"We anticipated that individuals of African ancestry share similar biology to other populations," said Dr. Nora Franceschini, a nephrologist and research assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina and first author on the paper. "However, differences in genomic make-up between African ancestry and other populations have uncovered additional genes affecting blood pressure, in addition to genetic variants that are specific to individuals of African ancestry."

The findings, according to those involved, represent a significant step in the development of new forms of treatment for the disease.

"Although it is unknown how the genes regulate blood pressure, our findings contribute to better understanding of blood pressure pathways that can lead to future development of drug target for hypertension and may guide therapy for clinical care," said Xiaofeng Zhu, an epidemiology and biostatistics professor from Case Western Reserve University and the co-senior author of the paper.

According to Zhu, the trend of focusing research efforts on hypertension among those of European descent is unfortunate for a number of reasons.

"In addition to their disproportionate suffering, hypertension occurs earlier in life for [African Americans] compared to individuals of other ancestries," Zhu explained. "Therefore, it is important to study this population to better understand genetic susceptibility to hypertension."

Already, Zhu and his colleagues are working to determine whether the newly-identified genes respond to existing hypertension medications. 

Researchers currently estimate that genetic makeup accounts for between 40 and 50 percent of a person's susceptibility to hypertension. Other factors including lifestyle, diet and obesity.