Molecular Genetic Study of Hypertension

Hypertension is a rising problem in the developed countries. Some rare familial hypertensive syndromes have been found to be caused by monogenic mutations. Essential hypertension is generally regarded as a complex genetic trait caused by multiple genes. The polygenic effects on blood pressure are modulated by gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. Most investigations for genetic causes of essential hypertension were approached with candidate genes, and a few candidate genes, such as angiotensinogen gene, were reported to be associated with essential hypertension, though the reports from different populations were still conflicting. Genome-wide scans with multiple markers have mapped several loci associated with blood pressure. The loci reported were on chromosomes 2p, 2q, 5q, 6q, 15q, 17, and 18q respectively. However, to date, no genotype had been conclusively linked to essential hypertension. It has long been hoped that genetic research on hypertensive animals, such as rats, will facilitate our understanding of the genetics of human essential hypertension. So far, more than twenty loci were reported to be associated with blood pressure in rats. More understanding of the genetic basis of essential hypertension should be possible in the future and would be expected to help earlier diagnosis, more effective risk factor assessment and more individualized treatment of hypertension. However, the difficulty of genetic analysis for essential hypertension and the possibility of inter-population differences in genetic factors should be kept in mind.